MPUKE.a°,ur  LirrLE 


',  AFRICAN  COUS 


M  ary-hAzelt  on  -wade 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


*C  J 


00025764548 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/ourlittleafricanOOwade 


Our   Little   African   Cousin 


THE 

Little  Cousin  Series 

(trade  mark) 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more  full-page  plates  in 

tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  with  decorative  cover, 

per  volume,  60  cents 

LIST   OF   TITLES 

By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade 

(unless  otherwise  indicated) 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 
Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  MacDonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Greek  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

L.  C.  PAGE    Sr   COMPANY 

New  England  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  E.  C. Shedd 
Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 
Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 


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By 

Mary  Hazelton  Wade 


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Illustrated  by 

L.  J.  Bridgman 


** 


* 


Boston 

L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

Publishers 


* 


Copyright,  IQ02 
%  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


Published,  June,  1902 
Sixth   Impression,  August,   1908 
Seventh  Impression,  October,  1909 


Preface 

Far  away,  toward  the  other  side  of  the 
round  earth,  far  to  the  east  and  south  of 
America,  lies  the  great  continent  of  Africa. 
There  live  many  people  strange  to  us,  with 
their  black  sv'ns,  kinky,  woolly  hair,  flat  noses, 
and  thick  lips.  These  black  people  we  call 
Africans  or  negroes,  and  it  is  a  little  child 
among  them  that  we  are  going  to  visit  by 
and  by. 

Different  as  these  African  people  of  the 
negro  race  are  from  us,  who  belong  to  the 
white  race,  they  yet  belong  to  the  same  great 
family,  as  we  say.  Like  all  the  peoples  of 
all  the  races  of  men  on  this  big  earth,  they  be- 


vi  Preface 

long  to  the  human  family,  or  the  family  of 
mankind.  So  we  shall  call  the  little  black 
child  whom  we  are  going  to  visit  our  little 
black  cousin. 

We  need  not  go  so  far  away  from  home, 
indeed,  to  see  little  black  children  with  woolly, 
kinky  hair  and  flat  noses  like  the  little  Afri- 
can. In  the  sunny  South  of  our  own  land  are 
many  negro  children  as  like  the  little  negro 
cousin  in  Africa  as  one  pea  is  like  another. 
Years  and  years  ago  slave-ships  brought  to 
this  country  negroes,  stolen  from  their  own 
African  homes  to  be  the  slaves  and  servants 
of  the  white  people  here.  Now  the  children 
and  great-grandchildren  of  these  negro  slaves 
are  growing  up  in  our  country,  knowing  no 
other  home  than  this.  The  home  of  the  great 
negro  race,  however,  is  the  wide  continent  of 
Africa,  with  its  deserts  of  hot  sand,  its  parch- 
ing winds  and  its  tropical  forests. 

So,  as  we  wish  to  see  a  little  African  cousin 


Preface  vii 

in  his  own  African  home,  we  are  going  to 
visit  little  black  Mpuke  instead  of  little  black 
Topsy  or  Sammy,  whom  we  might  see  nearer 
by. 

It's  away,  then,  to  Africa ! 


Contents 


CHAPTER 

I.  The  Boy     .... 

II.  Blacksmith  and  Dentist 

III.  Work  and  Play 

IV.  The  Elephant  Hunt 
V.  Song  and  Story 

VI.  The  Battle  Feast    . 

VII.  The  African  Medicine  -  man 

VIII.  The  Gorilla 

IX.  The  Gorilla  Hunt  . 

X.  The  Race  of  Dwarfs 

XI.  How  the  Dwarfs  Live     . 

XII.  Spiders         .... 

XIII.  Land -Crabs 


PAGE 

9 

17 

23 
28 

35 
46 

53 
60 
70 
76 
79 
85 
93 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

Mpuke         .......      Frontispiece 

The  Village 21 

Hunting  Elephants 29 

"  His    followers    look    upon    him    with    the 

greatest  admiration  " 47 

"  He  sat  down  on  his  haunches  "  .  .  -74 
"  Afterward  the  whole  roof  is  covered  with 

leaves  " 80 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE    BOY. 


Are  you  ready  for  a  long  journey  this 
morning  ?  Your  eyes  look  eager  for  new 
sights,  so  we  will  start  at  once  for  M puke's 
strange  home.  We  will  travel  on  the  wings 
of  the  mind  so  as  to  cross  the  great  ocean 
in  the  passage  of  a  moment.  No  seasickness, 
no  expense,  and  no  worry  I  It  is  a  comfort- 
able way  to  travel.     Do  you  not  think  so  ? 

Yes,  this  is  Africa,  Men  call  it  the  "  Dark 
Continent"  because  so  little  has  been  known 
of  it.  Yet  it  is  a  very  wonderful  land,  filled 
with  strange  animals  and  queer  people,  con- 


io      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

taining  the  oldest  monuments,  the  greatest 
desert,  the  richest  diamond  mines,  in  the 
world. 

Some  of  the  wisest  people  in  the  world 
once  lived  here.  Large  libraries  were  gathered 
together,  thousands  of  years  ago,  in  the  cities 
of  this  continent. 

Yet  the  little  negro  whom  we  visit  to-day- 
is  of  a  savage  race.  He  is  ignorant  of  civil- 
ised ways  and  customs.  He  knows  nothing 
of  books  and  schools.  I  doubt  if  he  even 
knows  when  his  birthday  draws  near;  but 
he  is  happy  as  the  day  is  long;  his  troubles 
pass  as  quickly  as  the  April  showers. 

Let  us  paint  his  picture.  We  must  make 
his  eyes  very  round  and  bright  and  black. 
The  teeth  should  be  like  the  whitest  pearls. 
His  head  must  be  covered  with  a  mass  of 
curly  black  wool.  His  lips  are  red  and 
thick,  while  his  skin  is  black  and  shining. 
He  is  tall  and  straight,  and  has  muscles   of 


The  Boy  u 

which  any  boy  might  well  be  proud.  He 
is  not  bothered  by  stiff  collars  or  tight  shoes. 
He  is  not  obliged  to  stay  in  the  house  when 
he  has  torn  a  hole  in  his  stocking,  or  ripped 
his  trousers  in  climbing  a  tree,  because  he 
does  not  own  any  of  these  articles  of  clothing. 

From  morning  until  night,  and  from  night 
until  morning  again,  he  is  dressed  in  the 
suit  Mother  Nature  provided  for  him,  —  his 
own  beautiful  glossy  skin.  She  knew  well 
that  in  the  hot  land  near  the  equator,  where 
Mpuke  was  born,  he  would  never  feel  the 
need  of  more  covering  than  this. 

One  of  the  first  things  Mpuke  can  re- 
member is  the  daily  bath  his  mother  gave 
him  in  the  river.  In  the  days  of  his  baby- 
hood he  did  not  like  it  very  well,  but  gave 
lusty  screams  when  he  was  suddenly  plunged 
into  the  cold  water.  Yet  other  babies  and 
other  mothers  were  there  to  keep  him  com- 
pany.    It  is   the   custom    of  his  village   for 


12       Our  Little  African  Ccasin 

the  women  to  visit  the  shore  every  morn- 
ing at  sunrise  to  bathe  their  little  ones. 
What  a  chattering  and  screaming  there  is  as 
one  baby  after  another  receives  his  ducking ! 
Then,  spluttering  and  choking  and  kicking, 
he  is  laid  up  on  the  bank  to  wriggle  about 
on  the  soft  grass,  and  dry  in  the  sunshine. 
Now  comes  a  toss  upon  mother's  back, 
and  the  procession  of  women  and  babies 
hastens  homeward  through  the  shady  path- 
way. 

It  lies  in  the  very  heart  of  Africa,  this 
home  of  Mpuke's.  The  houses  are  so  nearly 
alike  that  we  almost  wonder  how  the  black 
boy  can  tell  his  own  from  his  neighbour's. 
It  can  mere  properly  be  called  a  hut  than 
a  house.  It  has  low  walls  made  of  clay, 
and  a  high  conical  roof  thatched  with  palm 
leaves.  There  is  not  a  single  window ;  the 
narrow  doorway  faces  the  one  street  run- 
ning  through    the   village.      A    high   wall    is 


The  Boy  13 

built  all  around  the  settlement.  There  are 
two  reasons  for  this :  in  the  first  place,  the 
wild  animals  must  be  kept  out,  and  sec- 
ondly, the  village  is  protected  in  case  an- 
other tribe  of  black  people  should  come  to 
make  war  upon  it.  It  is  sad  that  it  is 
so,  but  we  know  that  the  negroes  spend 
much  of  their  time  in  fighting  with  each 
other. 

There  is  a  small  veranda  in  front  of 
Mpuke's  home.  It  is  roofed  with  the  long 
grasses  which  are  so  plentiful  in  this  coun- 
try, and  is  a  comfortable  place  for  the  boy 
to  lie  and  doze  during  the  hours  of  the 
hot  midday.  The  house  itself  nestles  in  a 
grove  of  banana-trees  and  stately  palms.  It 
makes  a  beautiful  picture.  I  wish  we  could 
take  a  good  painting  of  it  home  to  our 
friends. 

Look !  here  comes  Mpuke's  father.  He 
is    the    chief   of    the    village,    and    all    the 


14      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

people  bow  before  his  greatness  and  power. 
We  must  show  proper  respect  to  such  an 
important  person,  so  please  don't  laugh, 
although  he  is  certainly  an  amusing  sight. 

He  is  a  strong,  well-built  man,  but  his 
body  is  coloured  in  such  a  ridiculous  fashion 
with  white  and  yellow  chalk  that  it  reminds 
us  of  the  clowns  at  the  circus.  The  braids 
of  wool  on  his  chin  look  like  rats'  tails, 
and  others  stick  out  at  the  sides  of  his 
head  from  under  his  tall  hat  of  grass.  He 
has  a  string  of  charms  hanging  around  his 
neck ;  he  thinks  these  will  protect  him  from 
his  enemies,  for  he  is  a  great  warrior.  His 
only  clothing  is  a  loin  cloth  made  from  the 
leaves  of  the  pineapple-tree.  His  good  wife 
wove  it  for  him.  His  eyebrows  are  care- 
fully shaved.  As  he  walks  along,  talking 
to  himself  (the  negroes  are  always  talking !) 
he  is  trying  to  pull  out  a  hair  from  his 
eyelashes  with   his  finger-nail  and  knife. 


The  Boy  15 

This  odd-looking  man  was  chosen  by  the 
people  to  be  their  chief  because  he  is  so 
brave  in  fighting  and  so  skilful  in  hunting. 
He  has  had  many  a  battle  single-handed 
with  an  angry  elephant  or  furious  panther. 
He  has  killed  the  cobra  and  the  gorilla. 
He  could  show  you  the  skulls  of  the  ene- 
mies he  has  slaughtered  in  battle.  He  bears 
many  scars  beneath  that  coat  of  chalk,  the 
marks  of  dangerous  wounds  he  has  received. 

Mpuke  honours  and  fears  his  father,  and 
hopes  in  his  boyish  heart  that  he  may  grow 
up  to  be  a  chief  like  him,  and  have  as 
many  daring  adventures.  His  greatest  pleas- 
ure is  in  the  mock  battles  which  he  has 
with  the  other  boys  of  the  village.  Each 
one  must  be  provided  with  a  wooden  spear 
and  a  blunt  knife  before  he  is  ready  for 
the  game.  Then  the  boys  gather  in  the 
open  field  they  use  for  a  playground.  This 
sport   is  a  serious  thing ;    it  is  a  training   for 


1 6      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

the  hard  fighting  which  is  sure  to  come  later 
in  their  lives.  The  boys  rush  at  each  other 
as  if  in  dead  earnest.  Hours  sometimes  pass 
before  either  side  gains  a  victory. 


CHAPTER   II. 

BLACKSMITH    AND    DENTIST. 

When  the  first  rays  of  the  morning  sun 
find  their  way  through  the  tree-tops,  the  village 
wakes  up.  It  is  the  best  part  of  the  day  in 
any  land,  but  especially  in  all  tropical  coun- 
tries. The  women  come  hastily  out  of  the 
doorways,  and  prepare  to  get  breakfast.  All 
the  cooking  must  be  done  out-doors,  and  soon 
a  row  of  fires  can  be  seen  burning  brightly  in 
front  of  the  houses.  Mpuke's  mother  is  very 
busy.  She  must  boil  the  manioc  pudding  and 
bake  some  hippopotamus  meat  for  a  hearty 
meal. 

Manioc  takes  the  place  of  flour  with  the 
black  man.  It  looks  somewhat  like  the  potato, 
but  the  bulbs  are  not  ready  to  gather  till  the 

»7 


1 8      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

plant  is  about  fifteen  months  old.  It  is  a  very 
stringy  vegetable.  The  women  gather  it  in 
baskets  and  sink  them  in  the  river  for  a  few 
days.  They  must  stay  there  until  the  vegeta- 
bles have  fermented.  This  fermentation  makes 
them  mealy ;  it  also  makes  it  easy  to  draw  out 
the  tough  fibres.  The  manioc  is  afterward 
kneaded  into  dough  and  made  into  round 
puddings,  which  are  boiled  several  hours. 

Mpuke's  mother  is  a  careful  cook.  When 
her  manioc  pudding  is  taken  from  the  fire  it  is 
snowy  white.  It  is  a  wholesome  dish,  and 
Mpuke  is  very  fond  of  it.  You  may  not  agree 
with  him  unless  you  like  sour  milk ;  for  the 
pudding  has  a  flavour  very  much  like  that. 

As  soon  as  the  meat  is  cooked,  it  is  cut  up 
and  placed  in  earthen  jars,  a  quantity  of  pepper 
is  added,  and  palm  oil  poured  over  it  to  make 
a  rich  gravy. 

The  men  eat  their  breakfast  first.  When 
it  is  finished  they  sit  around  under  the  trees 


Blacksmith  and  Dentist         19 

while  the  women  and  children  satisfy  their 
hunger.  The  manner  in  which  these  people 
eat  is  not  at  all  nice,  but  we  must  always 
remember  they  have  never  been  taught  a 
better  way. 

There  is  no  table  to  set;  no  knives,  or 
forks,  or  spoons.  The  savages  use  only  the 
kind  they  carry  around  with  them,  furnished 
by  Mother  Nature  when  they  were  born. 

They  gather  around  the  jars  and  take  out 
the  pieces  of  meat  with  their  fingers,  sopping 
up  the  gravy  with  the  manioc  bread.  Now 
for  some  palm  wine  to  quench  their  thirst. 
The  meal  is  quickly  over.  We  are  glad,  for 
it  has  not  been  pleasant  to  watch. 

Both  men  and  women  join  in  a  friendly 
smoke.  From  the  laughing  and  chattering 
they  must  be  having  a  merry  time. 

But  it  is  growing  warm  as  the  sunshine 
finds  its  way  through  the  foliage,  and  there  is 
much  work  to  do  before  the  stifling  noon  hours. 


20      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

The  women  and  children  hurry  away  to 
their  plantations  of  sweet  potatoes,  or  ground- 
nuts (peanuts),  or  tobacco.  Some  of  the  men 
get  their  spears  and  bows  and  arrows  for  hunt- 
ing. Others  prepare  nets  for  fishing  in  the 
river.  Every  one  is  so  busy  that  the  village 
suddenly  becomes  quiet. 

We  will  follow  Mpuke  on  his  way  to  the 
blacksmith,  who  is  also  the  dentist  in  this  little 
settlement.  "  What,"  we  say,  "  is  it  possible 
that  a  savage  knows  how  to  fill  teeth  ?  "  We 
discover  that  his  work  is  of  a  very  different 
kind  from  that  of  any  dentist  we  ever  met  in 
white  man's  land.  His  business  is  to  grind  the 
beautiful  white  teeth  of  the  people  till  they  are 
wedge-shaped.  Mpuke  is  going  to  his  hut 
to-day  for  this  very  purpose.  His  father  has 
a  small  looking-glass  he  bought  from  the  white 
traders,  and  when  Mpuke  is  a  good  boy  he  is 
allowed  to  take  it  and  look  at  himself  for  a  few 
minutes.     He  will  take  great  delight  in  view- 


THE    VILLAGE 


Blacksmith  and  Dentist         21 

ing  his  teeth  after  they  have  been  ground  to 
the  fashionable  shape.  There  is  some  danger 
of  his  growing  vain  over  the  compliments  he 
will  receive.  In  the  eyes  of  his  own  people 
he  is  a  handsome  boy,  and  needs  only  the 
finishing  touch  to  his  teeth  to  make  him  a 
beauty. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will  not  become 
a  dandy  when  he  grows  up.  His  mind,  how- 
ever, is  very  busy  in  thinking  of  warfare  and 
hunting,  and  he  is  inclined  to  scorn  the  men 
who  think  too  much  of  their  looks. 

See  !  There  is  one  of  the  village  dandies, 
now.  He  is  strutting  along  like  a  peacock, 
and  expects  every  one  to  stop  and  look  at 
him.  He  has  spent  a  long  time  in  plastering 
his  hair  with  clay  well  mixed  with  palm  oil. 
The  oil  is  fairly  dripping  from  his  face  and 
neck  now.  We  certainly  can't  admire  this 
style  of  beauty,  so  we  will  turn  our  attention 
to  the  hut  on  the  other  side  of  the  road. 


22      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

The  man  in  the  doorway  is  busy  at  his 
work.  He  is  shaping  jars  and  dishes  out  of 
clay.  Some  of  the  jars  are  beautiful  in  shape. 
Wouldn't  you  like  to  buy  one  of  them  ?  A 
few  beads  or  a  bit  of  bright  calico  would  pay 
him  well,  according  to  his  ideas. 

Hark !  There  is  the  sound  of  a  hammer. 
Let  us  take  a  peep  inside  of  this  next  hut; 
we  must  discover  what  is  being  done  here. 
A  metal-worker  is  making  armlets  and  anklets 
of  copper.  They  will  find  a  ready  sale  in  the 
village,  for  no  woman  considers  herself  well- 
dressed  unless  she  is  able  to  wear  a  number 
of  such  ornaments.  She  is  willing  to  work 
very  hard  on  the  plantation  if  she  can  earn 
enough  jewelry  to  make  a  rattling  noise  and 
a  fine  display  as  she  walks  along. 


CHAPTER   III. 


WORK    AND    PLAY. 


The  dentist  works  steadily  for  an  hour  or 
so  upon  Mpuke's  teeth ;  but  he  grows  warm 
and  tired,  and  says  he  has  done  enough  filing 
for  one  morning.  The  boy  has  been  very 
patient  and  has  not  uttered  a  sound  of  com- 
plaint during  the  painful  operation.  But  now 
he  is  delighted  to  be  free,  and  hurries  off  to 
the  shore  of  the  river  to  work  on  the  canoe  he 
is  building.  His  father  helped  him  cut  down 
a  large  tree,  but  he  is  doing  all  the  rest  of  the 
work  alone.  He  has  worked  many  days  in 
hollowing  out  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  He  has 
shaped  it  into  a  narrow,  flat-bottomed  boat. 
The  paddles  are  beautifully  carved,  and  there 

23 


24      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

is  very  little  left  to  be  done  now  except  the 
making  of  the  sail. 

That  is  easy  work.  The  long  grasses  are 
already  gathered,  and  he  sits  on  the  bank  of 
the  river  weaving  them  into  a  large,  firm  mat. 
This  will  serve  as  well  as  canvas  for  the 
sail. 

What  pleasure  he  will  take  in  this  canoe ! 
Many  a  day  he  will  spend  in  it,  sailing  along 
under  the  shade  of  the  tall  trees  which  line  the 
river's  banks.  Many  a  fish  he  will  catch  and 
bring  to  his  mother  for  the  next  meal.  He 
delights  in  the  sport,  and  does  not  seem  to 
mind  the  myriads  of  gnats  and  mosquitoes 
which  would  send  us  home  in  a  hurry. 

But  the  black  boy's  life  is  not  all  play.  He 
has  had  regular  work  to  perform  from  the 
time  when  he  began  to  walk  alone.  He  must 
learn  to  make  the  rattan  war  shields,  shape 
spears  for  battle,  and  weave  nets  for  trapping 
fish    and   game.     In    fact,    Mpuke    must    be 


Work  and  Play  25 

ready  to  help  his  elders  in  all  their  occu- 
pations. 

The  boy  has  a  sister  who  is  nine  years  old. 
She  looks  very  much  like  her  brother,  and  has 
the  same  happy  disposition.  She  has  many 
duties,  but  they  are  quite  different  from  her 
brother's. 

She  is  a  good  cook,  young  as  she  is.  She 
can  broil  a  buffalo  steak  to  perfection ;  it  is 
her  work  to  gather  the  insects  and  caterpillars 
which  are  considered  dainties  at  the  feasts  of 
the  black  people.  She  weaves  the  mats  on 
which  the  family  sleep  at  night.  She  helps 
her  mother  raise  the  tobacco,  and  gathers  the 
peanuts  and  stores  them  away  for  the  rainy 
season. 

But  let  us  go  back  to  the  river,  where 
Mpuke  is  giving  the  finishing  touch  to  his 
sail.  As  he  turns  his  head  to  get  a  cooling 
breeze,  it  brings  to  his  nostrils  the  smell  of  the 
dinner  cooking  in  the  village.      He  knows  he 


26      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

must  not  be  late  at  meal-time,  and,  besides, 
he  has  a  good  appetite  for  each  of  the  day's 
three  hearty  meals. 

He  hurries  down  the  path,  thinking  of  the 
favourite  dish  his  mother  has  promised  him  to- 
day. Do  you  care  to  taste  it?  It  is  boiled 
crocodile.  The  broth  is  seasoned  with  lemon 
juice  and  Cayenne  pepper.  "  How  kind  my 
mother  is,"  thinks  Mpuke,  "  to  cook  such 
savoury  messes.  There  are  few  boys  so  fortu- 
nate as  I  am.  I  will  try  to  be  a  good  son, 
and,  if  the  white  traders  ever  come  this  way 
again,  I  will  buy  her  a  chain  of  beads  long 
enough  to  wind  three  times  around  her  neck." 

With  these  thoughts  the  boy  reaches  home, 
but  the  whole  village  is  in  a  state  of  much 
excitement ;  great  news  has  just  been  brought 
by  one  of  the  men.  He  has  discovered  a  herd 
of  elephants  feeding  in  a  forest  swamp  only 
a  few  miles  distant.  He  says  that  he  counted 
at  least  a  hundred  of  them. 


Work  and   Play  27 

The  black  people  know  that  the  elephant's 
sleeping  time  is  from  about  eleven  in  the 
morning  till  three  or  four  in  the  afternoon. 
It  is  the  time  that  the  people  themselves  take 
for  rest;  but  to-day  there  is  no  noonday  nap 
for  Mpuke's  village. 

Dinner  is  eaten  in  haste.  The  men  rush  in 
and  out  of  the  houses  getting  their  spears, 
bows,  and  poisoned  arrows  in  readiness.  The 
chief  orders  his  assistants  to  get  out  his  treas- 
ured elephant  gun.  It  is  the  most  valuable 
possession  in  the  village.  A  small  fortune 
(as  the  black  people  count)  was  given  for  it 
to  the  white  traders.  The  chief's  eyes  shine, 
as  he  says  to  himself:  "  This  shall  bring  down 
an  elephant  to-day." 


CHAPTER   IV. 


THE    ELEPHANT    HUNT. 


Mpuke  is  wildly  delighted  when  he  finds 
that  he  may  go  on  the  hunt.  But  he  is  warned 
to  be  very  quiet ;  he  must  not  even  whisper 
as  the  party  creeps  through  the  dense  forest. 

The  hunt  will  be  a  failure  unless  the  ele- 
phants are  taken  by  surprise  while  they  are 
sleeping.  The  men  know  that  the  wind  is  in 
their  favour,  since  it  is  blowing  from  the  ele- 
phants  toward  them.  Otherwise,  the  keen- 
scented  creatures  would  quickly  discover  the 
approach  of  their  enemies. 

Listen!  do  you  hear  that  queer  noise?  It 
is  the  champing  sound  the  elephants  make  in 
their  throats  when  they  are  asleep.  The  hunt- 
ers creep  nearer  and  nearer ;  more  and  more 


HUNTING    ELEPHANTS 


The  Elephant  Hunt  29 

and  more  carefully,  if  possible,  they  turn  aside 
the  thick  undergrowth  of  trees  and  bushes. 
Ah  !  Mpuke's  father  is  within  a  dozen  yards 
of  the  herd.  He  looks  keenly  about  till  he 
discovers  a  huge  tusker ;  he  gives  a  signal  to 
two  of  his  followers  to  bring  up  the  gun.  It 
is  carefully  placed  and  aimed  at  a  spot  in  the 
elephant's  forehead  about  four  inches  above 
the  eyes.  It  is  a  vital  spot.  Two  of  the 
best  marksmen  of  the  party  direct  their  poi- 
soned arrows  at  the  heart.  If  all  succeed  in 
reaching  the  parts  aimed  at  there  will  be  noth- 
ing to  fear.  But  if  the  huge  creature  is  only 
slightly  wounded,  woe  to  Mpuke  and  this 
company  of  men  who  are  taking  their  lives 
in  their  hands  at  this  moment !  A  maddened 
elephant  is  a  fearful  creature  to  encounter. 

Hush  !  Steady  now  !  Bang !  sounds  the 
gun.  At  the  same  moment  the  arrows  are 
let  loose  from  the  bows.  The  bullet  was 
aimed  well.     It  enters  the  exact  spot  intended. 


30      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

The  arrows  do  their  work.  The  king  of  the 
forest  rolls  over  on  his  side  without  a  sound. 
There  is  not  even  a  death  struggle,  but  there 
is  a  sudden  commotion  among  the  rest  of  the 
herd ;  it  is  as  though  a  whirlwind  had  arisen. 
Every  animal  is  instantly  awake ;  the  herd 
closes  together  like  a  great  army.  There  is 
an  angry  uproar,  a  tremendous  trumpeting 
and  bellowing ;  the  forest  echoes  and  re- 
echoes with  the  sound.  The  ground  shakes 
beneath  their  feet.  Madly  plunging  through 
the  forest,  the  elephants  flee  in  an  opposite 
direction  from  the  men.  As  they  rush 
onward,  great  limbs  of  trees  are  torn  off  as 
though  they  were  only  straws. 

Suppose  they  had  turned  toward  the 
hunters,  instead  of  from  them !  It  is  use- 
less to  think  of  it,  —  for  this  time,  at  least, 
no  one  has  been  harmed.  And  now  the 
men  gather  around  their  prey  lying  lifeless 
on  the  ground. 


The  Elephant  Hunt  31 

"  Owi  ?  "  ("  Is  it  dead  ?  ")  Mpuke  anxiously 
whispers.  His  father  assures  him  of  the  fact, 
and  allows  the  boy  to  take  part  in  cutting 
the  flesh  away  from  the  monstrous  prize. 

In  a  few  moments  the  women  of  the  vil- 
lage appear,  carrying  baskets.  They  have 
followed  the  party  at  a  distance  ;  they  knew 
their  help  would  be  needed  if  any  prey 
were  secured. 

The  hunt  has  been  a  marvellous  success. 
It  often  happens  that  hunters  are  obliged  to 
wait  in  the  underbrush  for  hours  before  they 
can  get  near  enough  for  a  good  shot,  or  to 
gain  such  a  position  as  to  be  able  to  cut 
the  sinews  of  the  sleeping  elephant's  legs 
with  their  spears,  for  this  makes  the  animal 
helpless. 

But  the  safest  and  most  common  way  of 
hunting  elephants  is  to  dig  immense  pits 
near  their  feeding-grounds.  These  are  cov- 
ered over  with    branches.     The   unwary   ele- 


32      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

phant  who  comes  this  way  makes  a  false 
step,  and  falls  helpless  into  the  pit.  It  is 
an  easy  matter  then  for  the  men  to  ap- 
proach and  kill  him,  either  with  their  spears 
or  bows  and  arrows. 

But  we  must  turn  again  to  Mpuke  and 
his  companions.  It  is  not  long  before  the 
busy  workers  have  removed  all  the  flesh, 
and  packed  it  in  the  big  baskets.  The 
monstrous  ears  must  be  saved ;  they  will 
be  useful  to  take  the  place  of  carts  in  har- 
vest time.  Two  of  the  strongest  men  are 
loaded  with  the  ivory  tusks ;  they  must  be 
kept  to  sell  to  the  traders. 

The  party  hurries  homeward,  chattering  in 
childish  delight  over  the  fun  they  will  have 
this  evening.  They  leave  behind  them  only 
the  skeleton  of  the  huge  animal  which  two 
hours  since  was  so  powerful. 

As  soon  as  they  reach  the  village  the 
boys   are   put    to    work.     They    must   dig   a 


The  Elephant  Hunt  33 

pit,  and  bring  wood  to  fill  it.  A  fire  must 
be  kindled  and  kept  burning  till  the  sides 
of  this  earthen  oven  are  thoroughly  heated. 
After  this  the  fire  is  put  out,  and  one  of 
the  elephant's  legs  is  laid  in  the  oven. 

The  women  bring  green  wood  and  fresh 
grass  to  lay  over  the  roast,  after  which  the 
hole  is  plastered  tightly  with  mud.  But  the 
queer  oven  is  not  yet  closed  tightly  enough. 
The  loose  earth  taken  from  the  pit  is  piled 
high  above  it,  so  that  no  heat  can  possibly 
escape. 

You  wonder  how  long  the  people  must 
wait  before  their  roast  can  be  served.  It 
will  be  a  day  and  a  half,  at  least ;  but  when 
the  time  does  come  to  open  the  pit  the 
cooks  will  find  enough  tender,  juicy  meat  to 
furnish  every  one  in  the  village  with  a  hearty 
meal. 

The  leg  of  an  elephant  is  the  most  eatable 
portion  of  the  animal ;  the  rest  of  the  flesh 


34      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

is ,  tough  and  fibrous,  although  the  negroes 
eat  it,  and  enjoy  it  very  much.  The  women 
smoke  it,  much  as  our  people  smoke  ham, 
and  in  this  way  they  can  keep  it  a  long 
time  for  use. 


CHAPTER  V. 


SONG    AND    STORY. 


It  has  been  a  busy  day  for  every  one. 
In  the  short  twilight  the  people  gather  about 
under  the  trees  for  music  and  story-telling. 
Mpuke  runs  to  his  house  for  his  xylophone, 
and  begins  to  play  a  sweet,  sad  air.  One 
by  one  his  neighbours  join  in  an  accompani- 
ment with  their  rich  voices.  The  African 
is  a  natural  lover  of  music ;  he  uses  it  to 
express  all  his  feelings. 

It  is  a  weird  sight,  —  this  group  of  black 
people  rocking  their  bodies  to  and  fro  to  keep 
time  with  the  music.  As  they  enter  more 
deeply  into  the  spirit  of  the  evening  song  the 
expressions  of  their  faces  change ;  they  seem 

35 


36      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

to  forget  themselves,  and  become  a  part  of 
the  music  itself. 

And  now  the  frogs  add  their  voices  to  the 
chorus.  The  crickets  and  cicadas  pipe  their 
shrill  notes,  while  at  short  intervals  a  hoarse 
sound,  between  a  groan  and  a  whining  bark, 
is  wafted  upwards  from  the  river.  It  comes 
from  a  lonely  crocodile  who,  no  doubt,  would 
like  to  join  the  company.  It  is  much  better 
for  their  comfort  that  he  remains  where  he  is. 

Mpuke's  xylophone  is  made  of  strips  of 
soft  wood,  differing  in  length,  fastened  over 
a  set  of  calabashes.  In  each  calabash  a  hole 
has  been  carefully  bored  and  covered  over 
with  spider's  web.  Perhaps  you  mistook  the 
calabash  for  a  gourd,  which  looks  much  like 
it.  It  is  a  curious  growth  which  forms  on 
the  trunks  of  certain  trees  near  Mpuke's 
home. 

Our  little  friend  makes  sweet  liquid  music 
on  his  crude  instrument.     He  calls  it  a  ma- 


Song  and  Story  37 

rimba.  The  village  metal-worker  made  it  for 
the  boy  in  return  for  many  presents  of  fish. 

"  That  is  a  good  lad,"  said  the  man,  "  he  is 
thoughtful  and  generous.  I  will  make  him 
happy." 

After  the  people  have  finished  their  songs, 
there  is  music  on  other  instruments  besides 
Mpuke's.  Look  at  that  big  fellow  blowing 
into  an  ivory  horn.  He  needs  to  have  a 
strong  pair  of  lungs  if  he  is  going  to  continue 
very  long.  What  a  dirge-like  noise  he  makes ! 
But  when  the  tom-tom  begins  to  sound,  every- 
body is  roused  and  joins  in  a  wild  dance. 

The  people  wind  in  and  out  among  the 
trees,  round  and  round  again,  laughing,  shout- 
ing, and  singing,  until  they  sink  out  of  breath 
on  the  grass. 

Mpuke  is  so  tired  he  can  hardly  keep  his 
eyes  open.  He  drags  himself  into  the  hut 
where  his  sister  lies  on  her  mat,  already  sound 
asleep.      Listen !  what  is  that  scuttling  noise 


38      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

among  the  dried  leaves  in  the  corner? 
Mpuke's  bright  black  eyes  are  helped  by 
the  moonlight  streaming  through  the  door- 
way. He  discovers  that  it  is  a  green  lizard, 
which  he  knows  to  be  quite  harmless.  But 
it  is  always  wise  to  be  watchful. 

One  night,  not  many  moons  ago,  as  the 
black  boy  counts  time,  he  found  a  centipede 
close  to  his  bare  feet  when  he  woke  up  sud- 
denly in  the  night.  He  is  quite  sure  that 
a  good  spirit  roused  him  to  save  his  life. 

At  another  time  a  lizard  of  the  most  deadly 
kind  must  have  shared  the  boy's  mat  with  him 
through  the  night.  At  any  rate,  he  found  the 
lizard  at  his  side  when  his  eyes  opened  to 
the  morning  light. 

But  Mpuke  is  too  sleepy  to  think  about 
unpleasant  things,  and  in  another  moment  he 
is  dreaming  of  the  roasted  elephant  that  will 
make  to-morrow's  feast. 

A  week  passes  by.     We  will  visit  Mpuke 


Song  and  Story  39 

once  more  as  he  is  eating  his  early  break- 
fast. 

A  messenger  from  the  next  village  comes 
rushing  in  to  the  people.  He  has  run  ten 
miles  this  morning  through  the  forest  paths, 
and  has  brought  word  to  M puke's  father  from 
his  own  chief.  The  two  men  are  blood-broth- 
ers, and  have  promised  to  stand  by  each  other 
in  all  troubles  and  dangers.  "  Blood-broth- 
ers," you  say,  "  what  does  that  mean  ? " 
When  the  chiefs  were  only  boys  they  went 
through  a  sacred  ceremony  together.  An 
arm  of  each  was  cut  till  the  blood  ran,  then 
the  two  arms  were  pressed  together,  and  the 
blood  was  allowed  to  mingle. 

They  must  never  quarrel  again.  No  cruel 
words  or  deeds  should  ever  pass  between  them, 
because  they  are  now  bound  together  by  the 
strongest  of  all  ties. 

But  what  is  the  message  that  causes  such 
a  state   of  excitement?     It  tells   that  enemies 


4-0      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

are  approaching.  It  means  war,  and  prepara- 
tion for  awful  deeds.  Mpuke's  father  is  asked 
to  come  to  the  help  of  his  blood-brother. 
Will  he  join  him  to  meet  the  advancing 
foes? 

There  is  only  one  answer  possible ;  not 
a  moment  must  be  lost.  The  order  is  given 
to  sound  the  war-drums ;  the  people  burst 
into  an  exciting  battle-song ;  blasts  from  ivory 
trumpets  can  be  heard  throughout  the  village ; 
the  men  cover  their  faces  with  charcoal  and 
hastily  seek  the  medicine-man.  He  must  pro- 
vide them  with  charms  to  protect  them  from 
danger.  Poor  fellow,  he  is  the  busiest  one 
of  all  the  people,  making  little  packages  of 
beads,  shells,  and  stones  for  each  soldier  to 
wear  as  a  talisman. 

The  women  are  at  work  getting  the  spears 
and  arrows  together ;  they  must  also  sharpen 
the  knives  for  their  husbands  and  sons. 

These    ignorant    savages    make    a    hideous 


Song  and  Story  41 

sight  to  our  eyes  when  the  fury  ofwar  seizes 
them.  It  is  such  a  pitiful  thing  that  they  are 
ready  to  take  the  lives  of  their  brother  blacks 
for  the  slightest  reason,  and  that  they  delight 
so  greatly  in  war. 

Now  the  men  hurry  down  to  the  river's 
side.  They  jump  into  their  canoes,  and  are 
out  of  sight  as  soon  as  they  pass  a  bend  in  the 
banks  of  the  stream.  Mpuke  watches  them 
with  glistening  eyes ;  he  longs  to  follow  them, 
but  he  has  been  told  to  remain  at  home  to 
protect  his  mother  and  sisters  in  case  of 
danger. 

He  knows  already  what  war  means ;  it  was 
only  last  year  that  his  own  village  was  at- 
tacked. Young  as  he  was,  he  stood  all  day 
behind  the  spiked  wall,  sharpened  spear  in 
hand,  doing  his  part  to  defend  his  home.  He 
was  wounded  in  the  leg  on  that  terrible  day, 
and  for  a  long  time  afterward  lay  sick  with 
fever,     His  sister  was  so  good  to  him  during 


42      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

that  trying  time ;  hour  after  hour  she  sat  at 
his  side  on  the  veranda,  and  kept  the  flies  and 
mosquitoes  from  his  wound  with  a  broom  she 
made  of  an  elephant's  tail. 

Mpuke  thinks  of  this  as  he  goes  home 
through  the  forest  path.  Suddenly  he  stops 
quite  still ;  his  eyes  roll  in  terror.  A  huge 
serpent  lies  coiled  but  a  few  feet  away ;  he 
does  not  notice  Mpuke,  for  his  beadlike  eyes 
are  fastened  on  a  monkey  standing  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  him.  The  snake  is  charm- 
ing it.  He  will  force  it  to  its  own  death,  and 
yet  he  does  not  stir;  it  is  the  monkey  that 
moves.  It  comes  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
monster ;  it  makes  a  frightened  cry  as  it 
advances. 

Mpuke  knows  he  cannot  save  its  life,  as  he 
has  no  weapon  with  which  to  attack  the  ser- 
pent. He  would  like  to  run,  but  does  not  stir 
until  the  monkey,  having  come  close  to  its 
charmer,  is  suddenly  strangled  in  the  folds  of 


Song  and  Story  43 

its  powerful  body.  The  boy  does  not  wait 
to  see  the  snake  devour  his  prey,  but  hur- 
ries homeward,  without  once  daring  to  turn 
round. 

The  fires  have  all  been  put  out.  The 
women  and  children  are  talking  in  whispers. 
They  wish  to  make  as  little  noise  as  possible 
while  the  men  are  away,  lest  they  be  attacked 
by  wild  beasts  or  some  passing  band  of 
savages. 

Night  comes ;  there  is  no  sound  of  return- 
ing warriors.  Mpuke  sits  in  the  doorway  of 
his  home,  listening ;  his  mother  and  sister  are 
beside  him.  It  draws  near  midnight,  and  yet 
there  is  no  sleep  for  the  anxious  watchers. 

Hark  !  faintly  at  first,  then  more  and  more 
plainly,  the  fighting  song  of  the  returning  war- 
riors is  borne  to  them  on  the  evening  wind. 
And  now  they  can  hear  the  sound  of  paddles 
and  shouts  of  boisterous  laughter. 

The  men  must  have  been  victorious  or  they 


44      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

would  not  come  home  so  gaily.  There  are 
but  a  few  more  minutes  of  waiting  before  the 
black  heroes  enter  the  village.  We  call  them 
heroes,  for  that  is  the  way  their  families  think 
of  them. 

The  men  are  tired,  excited,  and  stained  with 
blood.  They  are  bringing  home  two  of  their 
comrades  wounded,  and  the  dead  body  of 
another.  They  have  six  prisoners  taken  from 
the  enemy.  These  poor  wretches  are  bound 
with  ropes ;  they  know  their  fate  too  well. 
They  are  now  slaves,  and  must  hereafter  do 
the  hardest  work  for  their  new  masters. 

The  customs  of  their  own  settlement  are 
different  from  those  of  Mpuke's  village. 
They  will  suffer  from  homesickness,  and  will 
have  many  new  things  to  which  they  must  get 
used. 

It  seems  strange  to  us  that  in  travelling 
a  short  distance  in  the  heart  of  Africa  the 
people  are  found  to  differ  from  each  other  so 


Song  and  Story  45 

much  in  language,  habits,  and  even  dress. 
For,  scanty  as  it  is,  the  style  of  decoration 
of  one  tribe  varies  greatly  from  that  of 
another. 

For  instance,  in  Mpuke's  home  we  know 
it  is  the  fashion  to  have  wedge-shaped  teeth, 
while  not  far  away  the  people  think  that  a 
really  beautiful  person  must  have  the  teeth 
pointed.  In  one  village  the  women  wear 
wooden  skewers  pierced  through  their  noses ; 
in  another,  their  principal  ornaments  consist 
of  metal  rings  in  the  ears,  and  metal  armlets, 
anklets,  and  bracelets. 

Among  some  tribes,  the  men's  hair  is 
braided  in  queer  little  tails,  while  others  have 
it  knotted  at  the  back  of  the  head  and  at  the 
chin  in  tight  bunches. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE    BATTLE    FEAST. 


It  is  the  day  after  the  battle.  Mpuke's 
father  orders  his  people  to  celebrate  the  vic- 
tory. He  tells  them  to  prepare  a  great  feast, 
as  his  blood-brother,  Ncossi,  is  invited  to  come 
and  bring  his  people. 

A  great  deal  of  work  must  be  done  before 
the  feast  is  ready.  Some  of  the  villagers  pre- 
pare their  nets  to  catch  a  certain  fish  that  is 
rare  and  delicate.  Others  get  their  canoes 
ready  for  a  hippopotamus  hunt ;  still  others 
search  for  young  monkeys.  They  must  also 
get  a  kind  of  snake  that  makes  a  delicious 
stew. 

The  children  are  sent  through  the  fields  and 
woods  to  gather  the  rarest  and  choicest  insects. 

46 


"  HIS    FOLLOWERS    LOOK    UPON     HIM    WITH    THE    GREATEST 
ADMIRATION  " 


The  Battle  Feast  47 

The  country  is  scoured  in  all  directions.  The 
feast  will  surely  be  "  fit  for  a  king,"  at  least 
an  African  king. 

The  great  day  comes  at  last,  and  the  chief 
Ncossi  arrives.  He  is  dressed  in  the  greatest 
splendour.  A  chain  of  leopards'  teeth  is 
wound  around  his  neck;  a  great  war  knife 
hangs  at  his  side.  One  of  his  cheeks  is 
painted  red  and  the  other  yellow.  The  heads 
of  wild  animals  are  tattooed  upon  his  arms. 
He  wears  on  his  head  a  tall,  tattered,  beaver 
hat,  for  which  he  must  have  paid  a  great  price 
to  some  trader.  He  is  a  hideous  object,  yet, 
as  he  struts  along,  his  followers  look  upon 
him  with  the  greatest  admiration,  and  keep 
exclaiming:  "Look  at  our  beautiful  chief! 
Look  at  our  beautiful  chief!" 

The  mouths  of  the  visitors  water  as  they 
behold  the  pots  boiling  over  the  great  fires, 
and  the  savoury  odours  of  the  meats  greet 
their  nostrils. 


48      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

How  glad  they  are  that  they  have  been 
invited  to  the  fine  banquet  promised  here ! 
They  act  like  happy  children  out  for  a  holi- 
day. There  is  no  sign  in  their  faces  of  the 
cruel  side  of  their  natures  which  showed  itself 
in  the  battle  a  few  days  ago. 

And  now  they  gather  in  a  circle  on  the 
grass,  and  begin  to  devour  the  good  things 
the  cooks  spread  before  them. 

Will  you  share  with  them  this  dish  of 
boiled  smoked  elephant  ?  It  is  coarse  and 
stringy ;  I  fear  you  will  not  care  for  a  second 
piece,  although  every  one  pronounces  it  deli- 
cious. The  roasted  monkey  is  fat  and  tender. 
You  will  enjoy  it  more  if  you  do  not  allow 
yourself  to  think  of  its  resemblance  to  a  baby. 
The  stewed  buffalo  ribs  served  with  lemon 
juice  and  Cayenne  pepper  are  fine,  while  we 
should  not  disdain  the  turtle  soup  if  it  were 
brought  us  in  the  best  hotel  in  America. 

The  side  dishes  at  this  feast  are  the  queerest 


The  Battle  Feast  49 

we  have  ever  seen, —  frizzled  caterpillars,  paste 
of  mashed  ants,  and  toasted  crickets.  Palm 
oil  has  been  freely  used  in  the  crocodile  stew 
and  elephant  gravy. 

Mpuke's  friends  and  relatives  are  enjoying 
themselves  hugely.  They  gobble  the  good 
things  in  the  most  remarkable  manner.  They 
are  so  busy  that  they  are  almost  silent. 
They  drink  large  quantities  of  palm  wine  as 
well  as  the  fermented  juice  of  the  baobab- 
tree.  Palm  wine  is  very  pleasant  and  refresh- 
ing when  it  is  first  made.  To-morrow,  after 
the  visitors  have  left,  Mpuke  will  show  us 
how  to  obtain  it.  He  is  an  obliging  little 
fellow,  and  will  willingly  climb  a  tall  palm-tree 
to  the  very  top,  bore  deep  holes  in  the  wood, 
and  fasten  gourds  into  which  the  juice  will 
drip.  We  should  drink  it  at  once,  before  it 
changes  into  the  sour,  intoxicating  liquor 
drunk  so  freely  at  the  feast. 

Not  many  days  after  the  celebration,  the 


50      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

rainy  season  began.  During  this  period  the 
rain  does  not  fall  all  day  long,  but  comes 
down  in  torrents  for  an  hour  or  two  every 
morning. 

Very  little  hunting  is  done  now,  but  there 
are  such  good  supplies  of  smoked  elephant 
and  buffalo  meat  it  is  not  necessary. 

Mpuke  wakes  up  one  morning  with  great 
pain  in  his  head,  and  it  does  not  go  away  after 
he  gets  up.  He  says  to  himself,  "  I  am  afraid 
some  bad  spirit  bewitched  me  while  I  was 
dreaming  last  night."  But  he  says  nothing 
about  his  bad  feelings  to  his  mother.  He  is 
afraid  she  will  think  of  the  sleeping  sickness. 
He  does  not  want  her  to  worry,  so  he  will 
wait  awhile  and  perhaps  the  pain  will  go 
away. 

The  sleeping  sickness  is  the  most  terrible 
visitor  in  an  African  home.  There  is  little 
hope  for  the  one  who  has  it.  Sometimes  the 
sufferer    is    ill    for   a    few    weeks    only,    but 


The  Battle  Feast  51 

again  he  may  linger  for  a  year  before  death 
comes. 

The  illness  begins  with  a  severe  headache ; 
next  comes  swelling  of  the  body,  like  dropsy ; 
in  the  last  stage,  the  dying  person  dozes  or 
sleeps  all  of  the  time. 

With  our  little  Mpuke,  a  day  and  a  night 
pass  and  his  headache  grows  worse  and  worse. 
His  body  is  first  hot  and  feverish,  then  shiv- 
ering with  a  chill.  His  mother  begins  to 
notice  how  slowly  he  moves,  and  how  hard 
it  seems  for  him  to  do  his  work. 

"  You  must  lie  on  your  mat  in  the  hut,  my 
dear  one,"  she  says  to  the  boy.  "  The  charm 
doctor  shall  be  sent  for ;  he  will  drive  away 
the  evil  spirit  that  is  making  my  child  so 
sick." 

The  black  woman  has  a  strange  belief;  she 
thinks  that  evil  beings  are  always  near,  ready 
to  work  harm.  She  spends  much  time  in 
protecting  her  family  and  herself  from  these 


52      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

evil  powers   by   repeating  charms  and   going 
through  queer  ceremonies. 

She  teaches  her  children  to  fear  spirits  in  the 
air,  in  the  water,  in  the  trees,  in  the  ground  ;  at 
every  movement  they  look  for  possible  trouble 
from  beings  they  cannot  see,  yet  imagine  to  be 
following  them.  If  it  were  not  for  such  a  fool- 
ish belief,  the  black  people  would  be  very 
happy ;  but  they  have  one  protector  to  whom 
they  turn  in  all  their  troubles.  They  believe 
that  he  can  drive  away  the  evil  spirits ;  he  can 
bring  health  to  the  sick  man ;  he  can  make 
charms  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of  wild  beasts  ; 
he  can  even  control  the  winds  and  the  waters. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    AFRICAN    MEDICINE  -  MAN. 

When  the  crops  begin  to  dry  up,  it  is  the 
medicine-man  who  has  the  power  to  bring 
rain ;  when  fever  visits  the  settlement,  his 
herbs  and  charms  are  alone  of  any  use  in 
relieving  suffering.  Therefore,  when  Mpuke 
becomes  ill,  the  medicine-man  is  immediately 
visited. 

His  hut  stands  a  little  apart  from  the  others 
in  the  village.  It  is  very  seldom  that  an  out- 
sider is  allowed  to  enter  the  sacred  (?)  place. 
After  M  puke's  mother  has  wrapped  up  her 
little  son,  and  placed  him  on  his  mat,  she 
hastens  to  the  home  of  the  charm  doctor, 
carrying  an  offering  of  tobacco  and  palm  wine 
to  the  great  man. 

53 


54      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

As  she  draws  near  the  hut,  he  appears  in 
the  doorway.  He  wears  many  chains  of  metal 
rings  about  his  body.  Funny  little  packages 
are  tied  to  the  rings,  and  are  supposed  to  pos- 
sess the  power  of  working  wonders.  Feathers 
of  different  kinds  of  birds  are  sticking  out  of 
the  packages,  while  a  doleful  clanging  is  made 
by  iron  bells  at  every  movement  of  the 
"  doctor." 

When  told  of  Mpuke's  sickness,  he  goes 
back  into  the  hut  and  puts  on  his  tall  hat  of 
panther's  skin.  He  takes  some  herbs  and 
wonder-working  charms  from  a  dark  corner, 
and  comes  out  looking  very  solemn  and  quiet. 
He  rarely  speaks  to  Mpuke's  mother  as  she 
reverently  follows  him  to  her  own  home. 

In  a  few  moments  he  is  standing  by  the 
black  boy's  side.  He  makes  some  weird  and 
mysterious  motions,  and  tells  Mpuke  that  he 
is  driving  away  the  evil  spirit  that  has  taken 
hold    of  his    body.       He   gives    the    anxious 


The  African  Medicine  -  Man       55 

mother  a  charm  made  from  the  hairs  of  an 
elephant's  tail ;  this  is  to  be  fastened  around 
the  boy's  neck.  She  is  told  to  repeat  certain 
words  many  times  a  day,  and  to  draw  a  circle 
with  ashes  around  the  hut  to  keep  bad  spirits 
from  returning. 

But  this  is  not  all  that  is  to  be  done  for  the 
cure  of  the  boy ;  for  the  doctor  really  does 
know  many  good  uses  of  herbs.  He  has 
discovered  that  the  use  of  one  of  these  is 
almost  sure  to  break  up  a  fever  like  Mpuke's, 
so  he  steeps  a  large  dose  of  this  medicine,  to 
be  taken  during  the  next  three  days.  Then 
he  goes  away  as  quietly  and  solemnly  as  he 
came ;  the  villagers  bow  before  him  in  awe  as 
they  pass  him  on  his  way. 

Mpuke  is  soon  strong  and  well.  What 
cured  him  ?  Did  the  doctor  really  have  the 
power  to  drive  spirits  away  ?  Or  was  it  the 
medicine  the  boy  swallowed  ?  Of  course,  his 
mother    believes    nothing    could    have    been 


56      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

done  without  the  magic  charms,  but  those 
who  are  wise  must  see  that  if  tne  herb  tea 
had  not  been  made  and  swallowed,  Mpuke 
would  most  likely  be  still  burning  with  fever. 

But  Mpuke  is  now  well  and  strong,  glad  to 
be  out  once  more  in  his  canoe ;  eager  to  look 
for  honey  in  the  wild  bees'  nests ;  chasing  the 
monkeys  from  the  banana-trees ;  feeding  his 
chickens,  and  doing  a  hundred  other  things 
beside  all  these. 

But  the  chickens  we  hardly  recognise  as  such, 
they  are  such  poor,  scrawny  things,  with  their 
bodies  and  feathers  all  awry ;  and  when 
Mpuke's  mother  prepares  a  chicken  stew,  the 
meat  is  so  dry  and  tasteless  that  it  seems 
scarcely  worth  eating.  What  can  be  the  reason 
that  the  African  chicken  is  so  much  poorer 
than  the  American  bird  ?  Perhaps  it  is  because 
it  is  tormented  by  such  numbers  of  insects. 

This  reminds  me  of  something  that  once 
happened   at    Mpuke's   home.      One    night, 


The  African  Medicine  -  Man     57 

in  the  midst  of  sound  sleep,  they  were  sud- 
denly attacked  by  an  army.  There  were 
millions,  yes,  billions,  in  that  army,  yet  it 
made  no  sound  as  it  drew  near.  It  had  trav- 
elled many  miles  through  fields  and  forests, 
and  Mpuke's  home  happened  to  be  in  the  line 
of  march.    That  is  the  reason  it  was  attacked. 

For  a  few  moments  the  sleepers  were  in 
a  state  of  great  excitement.  There  was  much 
scuffling,  screaming,  scratching,  and  running 
about.  Then  all  was  quiet  once  more,  and 
the  family  returned  to  their  mats  and  dreams. 

The  strange  army  was  not  one  of  human 
beings,  but,  nevertheless,  it  caused  fear  and 
trembling  while  it  stayed.  It  was  composed 
of  ants,  much  larger  than  any  we  have  ever 
seen  in  our  own  country.  They  were  under 
the  orders  of  generals  who  marched  at  the 
sides  of  the  advancing  columns.  Each  ant 
knew  his  place  and  duty.  He  was  ready  to 
bite  any  living  creature  that  barred  his  way; 


58      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

and  it  was  a  fierce  bite,  too,  for  a  piece  of  flesh 
was  taken  out  each  time  before  he  let  go. 

For  some  reason  unknown  to  us,  the  ants 
were  changing  their  camping-ground  and 
moving  to  another  part  of  the  forest.  Such 
a  small  thing  as  M puke's  home  must  not  be 
allowed  to  stand  in  their  way,  so  they  passed 
through  it,  and  took  the  people  inside  by 
surprise. 

"  Ouch  !  "  screamed  Mpuke,  as  he  woke 
up  to  find  himself  covered  by  these  wise  but 
uncomfortable  insects.  Then,  one  after  an- 
other, the  boy's  father,  that  brave  warrior,  his 
mother,  his  sister,  and  himself,  fled  from  the 
hut  as  though  a  pack  of  hyenas  were  after 
them. 

When  morning  came  the  ants  had  departed, 
but  not  an  insect  was  left  alive  in  the  house. 
The  fat  spiders  that  had  spun  comfortable 
webs  in  the  dark  corners  were  now  skeletons, 
a  baby  lizard  lay  lifeless  in  the  doorway,  and 


The  African  Medicine  -  Man     59 

many  crickets  had  fallen  victims  to  the  resist- 
less invaders.  Worse  still !  when  Mpuke 
looked  for  his  pet  chicken,  nothing  was  left 
of  it  save  bones  and  feathers. 

Paul  Du  Chaillu,  an  African  explorer,  has 
written  very  interesting  accounts  of  the  ants 
found  in  that  country.  The  wisdom  of  these 
little  creatures  fills  us  with  wonder.  Small  as 
they  are,  they  travel  in  such  numbers  that 
even  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest  hasten  to 
get  out  of  their  way.  They  are  not  fond  of 
the  sunlight,  and  when  marching  in  the  day- 
time they  prefer  to  stop  in  their  journey  and 
dig  a  tunnel  underground  rather  than  pass  over 
an  open  plain. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


THE    GORILLA. 


But  we  will  leave  the  ants  and  their  won- 
derful ways  for  the  present,  as  we  wish  to 
follow  Mpuke,  whose  mother  has  sent  him 
a  long  way  from  home  to  gather  some  pine- 
apples. The  boy's  sister  carries  a  large  basket 
on  her  head  to  hold  the  fruit.  Pineapples 
allowed  to  ripen  fully  where  they  grow  are 
much  nicer  than  those  picked  while  still  a  little 
green  in  order  to  stand  the  long  journey  to  us. 
They  are  so  tender  that  when  Mpuke  has  cut 
off  the  top  of  one  he  can  scoop  out  the  pulp 
and  eat  it  as  though  it  were  oatmeal  porridge. 
And  it  is  so  sweet  and  juicy  !  It  is  no  wonder 
the  children  were  glad  to  go  on  their  errand. 

They  play  hide  and  seek  among  the  bushes 
60 


The  Gorilla  6j 

as  they  run  along ;  they  laugh  and  chatter  and 
joke  without  a  thought  of  fear,  they  are  so 
used  to  the  forest.  Besides,  Mpuke  carries 
a  bow  and  arrow  in  his  hand  to  be  ready  in 
case  of  need. 

They  soon  reach  the  place,  but  discover 
that  some  one  has  been  there  before  them. 
The  fruit  lies  scattered  over  the  ground.  The 
children  look  about  them  in  alarm  ;  they  speak 
in  low  tones  instead  of  the  noisy  chatter  of  the 
moment  before. 

"  Mpuke,  do  you  think  a  gorilla  is  near 
us  ? "  whispers  his  sister,  and  the  next  instant 
there  is  a  loud  crackling  and  trampling  of  the 
bushes. 

Ten  yards  away  stands  the  fiercest,  wildest 
looking  creature  one  can  imagine.  She  is  cov- 
ered with  dark,  almost  black,  hair ;  standing 
on  her  short  hind  legs  she  is  taller  than  most 
human  beings. 

How  long  her  arms  look,  as  she  beats  her 


62      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

breast  in  anguish  !  She  does  not  notice  the 
children  hiding  behind  the  trunk  of  a  tree. 
She  is  looking  down  on  the  ground  where  her 
dead  baby  is  lying.  Has  a  passing  hunter 
shot  it  during  its  mother's  absence,  or  did  it 
sicken  and  die  ?  We  do  not  know ;  we  can 
only  listen,  breathless,  to  the  mother's  cry,  too 
horrible  to  be  described.  See !  she  lifts 
the  dead  body  in  her  arms  and  moves 
away. 

When  travellers  in  the  Dark  Continent  first 
brought  home  accounts  of  this  largest  and 
most  fearful  of  the  ape  family,  people  could 
scarcely  believe  in  the  truth  of  their  state- 
ments, but  now  every  one  admits  the  gorilla 
to  be  the  king  of  the  African  forest. 

As  soon  as  the  frightened  children  reach 
home  and  tell  their  adventure,  a  party  of  the 
best  huntsmen  starts  into  the  forests.  If  there 
is  one  gorilla  in  the  neighbourhood,  there  must 
be  more.     No  fruit  is  safe  now ;   the  village 


The  Gorilla  63 

itself  is  not  secure  so  long  as  the  dreaded 
brutes  are  near.  Besides  these  reasons  for 
killing  them,  the  people  consider  the  brain 
of  a  gorilla  the  most  powerful  charm  that  can 
be  used  against  one's  enemies. 

While  the  hunters  are  gone,  we  will  listen 
to  a  legend  Mpuke's  mother  is  telling  her 
children.  It  shows  how  the  power  of  a  man's 
mind  can  conquer  even  the  strength  of  a 
gorilla. 

HOW    THE    GORILLA    CAME. 

My  children,  this  is  a  story  of  a  far-distant 
tribe  of  our  race.  It  was  told  me  by  my 
mother,  and  she  in  turn  listened  to  it  at 
her  mother's  knee.  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
old  it  is,  but  it  is  very  ancient. 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  certain  king 
who  was  very  rich  and  powerful.  He  had 
many  children,  but  they  were  all  daughters, 
and  this  made  him  feel  exceedingly  sad.     He 


64      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

longed  for  a  son  to  take  his  place  when  he 
should  die.  At  length,  after  many  years, 
he  was  delighted  at  the  birth  of  a  baby 
boy. 

The  child  grew  rapidly  into  a  strong,  bright 
little  fellow,  and  the  king's  heart  was  wrapped 
up  in  him.  His  father  strove  to  gratify  his 
smallest  wish,  and  even  divided  with  him  his 
power  over  the  kingdom.  Of  course  the  boy 
became  proud  and  vain.  He  was  quite  spoiled 
by  the  flattery  of  his  subjects  and  his  father's 
lavish  presents. 

One  day,  as  he  was  sitting  under  a  tree  with 
a  circle  of  youths  about  him,  he  said : 

"  Oh,  how  fortunate  a  boy  I  am ;  there  is 
nothing  my  father  would  refuse  to  give  me. 
There  is  not  another  youth  in  the  world  like 
me!" 

He  had  no  sooner  finished  speaking  than 
one  of  his  boy  subjects  dared  to  make  answer: 
"  Sir    Prince,    there    is  one  thing  your  father 


The  Gorilla  65 

would  refuse  to  give  you,  if  you  should  ask 
for  it,  because  he  could  not  do  it." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  the  proud 
prince,  indignantly. 

"  It  is  the  moon,"  was  the  answer. 

The  young  prince  went  at  once  to  the  king 
and  said :  "  My  dear  father,  you  have  never 
in  my  life  refused  me  anything,  and  yet  I  have 
even  now  been  taunted  that  if  I  were  to  ask  it, 
you  would  not  be  able  to  get  the  moon  for 
me.  Must  I  endure  this  ?  Say  that  you  will 
obtain  it." 

The  king  was  troubled.  It  seemed  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  him  to  satisfy  his  child 
for  the  first  time,  and  he  could  not  bear  it. 
He  sent  criers  throughout  the  country  to  call 
the  wise  men  of  his  kingdom  together,  that  he 
might  ask  their  advice. 

When  they  were  all  assembled,  and  heard 
that  the  king  desired  them  to  find  a  way  by 
which   the  moon  might  be   brought  down  to 


66      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

the  prince,  they,  too,  were  troubled.  They 
feared  the  king  was  going  crazy  ;  at  least  all  of 
the  wise  men  but  the  one  who  seemed  to  be 
the  youngest.  He  turned  to  the  king  and 
slowly  said : 

"  O  King,  there  is  a  way  by  which  this 
thing  may  be  done,  but  it  requires  long  and 
great  work.  All  the  men  of  the  country  will 
be  needed  in  cutting  down  the  forest  and  shap- 
ing timber.  All  the  women  will  be  needed  to 
plant  the  gardens,  raise  crops,  and  cook  food 
for  the  men.  All  the  children  will  be  needed 
to  make  bark  rope  to  tie  the  timbers  in  place, 
and  to  hand  things  to  the  builders.  For,  O 
King,  this  is  my  plan : 

"  Yonder  mountain  is  very  high,  and  I  pro- 
pose that  a  scaffold  be  built  to  cover  its  entire 
top  ;  that  a  smaller  scaffold  be  built  on  that ; 
a  still  smaller,  on  that ;  and  so  on,  until  the 
moon  is  reached.  Then  it  can  be  lifted  down 
and  brought  to  your  son." 


The  Gorilla  67 

The  king  did  not  hesitate  as  to  what  he 
should  do.  He  began  at  once  to  act  upon  the 
wise  man's  plan. 

All  the  men  in  the  country  went  to  work 
cutting  down  the  forest  and  putting  up  the 
scaffold.  All  the  women  set  to  work  to  cook 
for  the  workmen  and  to  plant  new  gardens. 
All  the  children  were  kept  busy  making  the 
bark  rope  and  in  running  errands  for  their 
parents. 

A  month  passed ;  the  first  scaffold  had  been 
built,  and  yet  another  upon  that. 

Two  months,  —  and  now  the  top  of  the 
tower  could  no  longer  be  seen  by  the  multi- 
tude at  the  foot,  for  the  people  of  all  the  coun- 
tries round  about  had  gathered  there  to  watch 
the  strange  work. 

Three  months,  four  months,  five  months 
were  gone,  and  the  head  workmen  sent  word 
down  that  now  the  moon  was  within  easy 
reach. 


68      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

At  last  it  was  whispered  that  the  king,  who 
had  climbed  to  the  top,  was  about  to  seize  the 
moon  and  bring  it  down  to  earth.  More  peo- 
ple, from  still  greater  distances,  gathered  at  the 
foot  to  behold  the  great  event. 

What  happened,  my  children  ?  At  first  the 
moon  could  not  be  budged  from  its  place ;  but 
then  more  force  was  applied.  Lo  !  there  was 
a  cracking  and  snapping,  as  of  a  tremendous 
explosion.  A  river  of  fire  came  flowing  down 
the  scaffolds,  which  were  quickly  burned,  to- 
gether with  all  the  people  upon  them,  and 
most  of  those  gathered  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain. 

Most  wonderful  of  all,  those  few  grown  peo- 
ple who  did  escape  were  changed  into  gorillas, 
while  the  children  that  were  saved  were  trans- 
formed into  monkeys. 

My  children,  when  you  look  at  the  moon 
on  bright  nights,  you  will  notice  dark  spots 
upon  it,  where  the  shoulders  of  the  strong  man 


The  Gorilla  69 

who    tried   to   move   it   from   its   place  were 
pressed  against  it. 

Let  this  lesson  be  learned  from  my  story : 
It  is  not  well  to  gratify  all  the  wishes  of  chil- 
dren ;  but  only  such  as  the  parents  think  wise 
and  good  for  them. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


THE    GORILLA    HUNT. 


After  many  hours  the  hunters  return. 
They  have  a  wonderful  tale  to  tell  of  what 
they  have  seen  and  done.  Mpuke's  father 
is  the  story-teller.  The  black  faces  of  the 
listeners  are  very  still,  and  all  eyes  are  turned 
toward  him  as  he  speaks.     He  says  : 

"  My  people,  we  hunters  went  away  from 
this  village  very  quietly,  as  you  all  know. 
We  did  not  wish  the  creatures  of  the  forest 
to  hear  us  as  we  crept  along,  one  behind 
another.  Our  enemies,  the  gorillas,  must  not 
learn  of  our  approach. 

"  We  went  on  and  on,  farther  and  farther  to 
the  east.  There  was  no  path ;  we  broke  off 
twigs  and  leaves  from  the  trees  and  scattered 

70 


The  Gorilla  Hunt  71 

them  along  on  the  ground,  so  we  should  be 
able  to  find  our  way  home  again." 

Here  the  whites  of  the  chief's  eyes  grew 
larger  and  rounder  as  he  rolled  them  about  in 
his  head,  and  looked  from  one  to  another  of 
his  listeners.     Then  he  continued  : 

"  As  we  moved  on  through  the  forest,  we 
stopped  from  time  to  time  to  listen.  But 
there  was  no  sound  of  the  great  gorillas'  feet 
stamping  upon  the  ground.  There  was  no 
shaking  of  the  limbs  of  trees.  They  could 
not  be  there. 

"  At  last  we  came  out  of  the  forest  into  a 
wooded  marsh.  The  mud  was  so  deep  that 
our  feet  sank  far  in  at  every  step.  It  was  a 
very  bad  place  for  us  if  we  should  need  to  run, 
but  it  was  the  very  spot  gorillas  would  like  if 
they  were  in  search  of  dinner,  for  there  were 
great  numbers  of  bushes  loaded  with  berries, 
of  which,  you  know,  the  fierce  gorilla  is  very 
fond,  as  well  as  of  other  fruits  and  nuts. 


72      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

"  Hark !  there  was  a  sound  of  tramping 
feet.  The  ground  trembled,  and  straight 
ahead  of  me  I  counted  one,  two,  three  full- 
grown  gorillas.  Two  of  their  children  were 
following  them.  They  were  moving  along 
through  an  open  space  in  the  bog.  Now  they 
went  on  all  fours,  and  again  they  would  raise 
their  great  bodies  and  walk  along,  even  as  we 
do  ourselves. 

"  They  looked  around,  now  and  then,  turn- 
ing their  ugly,  wrinkled  faces  toward  me,  but 
they  had  not  discovered  us.  How  sharp  and 
wicked  their  eyes  were !  What  long  and 
powerful  arms  they  had !  They  stopped  be- 
side the  bushes  and  began  to  eat  the  berries. 

"  Mpuke,  you  would  have  enjoyed  watching 
a  mother  gorilla  feed  her  child.  She  would 
pick  a  berry,  and  then  make  a  queer  kind  of 
chuckle  to  call  her  little  one.  He  would  run 
to  her,  and  spring  up  into  her  arms.  She 
would  show  her  love  by  moving  her  thin  black 


The  Gorilla  Hunt  73 

hand  over  his  body,  and  pressing  him  to  her 
breast.  Then  down  he  would  jump  again,  or 
squat  between  her  legs,  while  she  picked  more 
berries  and  handed  them  to  him. 

"  Oh,  those  gorillas  are  strange  and  fearful 
creatures !  But  the  time  had  come  to  let 
them  know  we  were  near  by.  Bang !  went 
my  gun,  and  the  shot  went  straight  into  the 
breast  of  the  mother  gorilla.  She  fell  over  on 
her  side,  with  a  sharp  cry.  All  the  rest  fled 
among  the  trees  except  a  father  gorilla,  who 
rose  up  on  his  hind  legs.  At  the  same  time 
he  gave  a  fearful  roar,  and  beat  his  breast,  as 
though  he  were  daring  us  to  attack  him.  Be- 
fore he  had  a  chance  to  spring  among  us, 
whizz !  flew  the  arrows  from  the  bows  of  our 
brave  hunters,  and  a  moment  after  he  lay  life- 
less on  the  ground. 

"  We  waited  a  long  time  in  the  place,  hoping 
the  other  gorillas  would  come  back,  but  not  a 
single    one   appeared.     The   sun  was   getting 


74      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

low  in  the  sky,  so  we  started  homeward.  It 
would  not  be  wise  to  stay  in  that  damp,  wild 
place  after  dark. 

"  We  returned  to  the  forest,  and  began  to 
pick  out  our  way.  It  was  hard  to  find  the 
tracks  we  had  made  on  our  way  east.  We 
had  not  gone  far  before  I  saw  a  dark  object 
moving  toward  a  high  tree  ahead  of  us.  I 
gave  the  sign  to  halt.  Was  it  another  gorilla  ? 
No,  it  was  not  large  enough,  and  I  could  see 
it  had  a  bald,  black,  shiny  head. 

"  It  must  be  a  chimpanzee.  He  reached 
the  tree  and  climbed  it,  hand  over  hand. 
When  he  had  found  a  comfortable  crotch,  he 
sat  down  on  his  haunches,  and  put  one  long 
arm  around  a  branch  of  the  tree,  to  hold  him- 
self in  place.  He  must  have  come  up  here  to 
rest  for  the  night. 

"  He  was  just  about  to  close  his  eyes,  when 
one  of  our  hunters  made  a  slight  noise  in  the 
bushes.     Before   we    could    fire,    the    startled 


HE    SAT    DOWN    ON    HIS    HAUNCHES 


The  Gorilla  Hunt  75 

chimpanzee  had  sprung  from  the  tree  and  dis- 
appeared into  the  darkness  of  the  forest.  You 
well  know  how  §hy  the  creatures  are.  They 
are  not  as  bold  as  gorillas,  and  will  never  fight 
if  they  can  avoid  doing  so. 

"  But  our  story  is  not  yet  ended.  I  am 
very  tired.  Gombo,  will  you  tell  my  people 
what  we  discovered  as  we  nearly  reached  the 
village? " 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE    RACE    OF    DWARFS. 


The  great  chief  leaned  back  against  a  tree- 
trunk,  while  Gombo  went  on  with  the  tale  of 
the  day's  adventures. 

He  told  the  astonished  company  that  not  a 
mile  away  was  a  camp  of  the  strangest  beings 
his  eves  had  ever  beheld.     He  had  heard  of 

J 

them  and  their  ways  from  his  own  parents,  but 
they  had  never  wandered  into  this  part  of  the 
country  before. 

They  belonged  to  the  race  of  dwarfs,  and 
the  very  tallest  one  among  them  was  hardly 
more  than  four  feet  high.  Their  hair  grew  in 
little  tufts,  or  bunches,  all  over  their  heads ; 
that  of  the  women  was  no  longer  than  the 
men's.     Their  upper  lips  were  thick,  and  hung 

76 


The  Race  of  Dwarfs  77 

out  over  their  mouths.  Their  skin  was  a 
reddish  black,  and  their  cheek-bones  were 
high.  And  the  children  !  They  were  such 
tiny,  tiny  things. 

When  they  saw  Mpuke's  people,  they  hud- 
dled together  like  a  pack  of  dogs,  and  hid  their 
heads.  A  mother  pigmy  held  a  baby.  She 
looked  like  a  child,  while  it  seemed  as  though 
the  baby  must  be  a  doll  in  her  arms. 

These  queer  little  people  were  cutting  down 
branches  and  making  ready  to  build  their  huts. 
The  men  came  out  to  meet  the  hunters,  carry- 
ing tiny  bows  and  arrows.  They  made  signs 
that  they  would  like  to  become  friends.  They 
had  heard  of  the  banana  plantation  in  Mpuke's 
village.  They  were  willing  to  help  the  chief 
in  his  wars  and  catch  game  for  his  people  it 
they  could  be  paid  in  bananas. 

Do  you  suppose  the  black  hunters  laughed 
at  the  idea  of  help  from  this  group  of  tiny 
people?     Indeed  not.     They  had  heard  many 


78      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

stories  of  the  great  skill  of  the  dwarfs  with  the 
bow  and  arrow,  and  of  their  great  daring. 
They  had  heard,  too,  how  much  harm  they 
could  do  if  they  took  a  dislike  to  a  tribe  or 
person.  They  knew  it  was  wise  to  make 
friends  with  the  little  people. 

Although  they  were  very  tired,  they  joined 
in  a  dance  to  show  their  good-will.  But  the 
pigmies  had  no  music.  One  of  their  number 
beat  time  by  striking  a  bow  with  an  arrow 
while  the  others  strutted  around  in  a  circle. 
They  looked  comical  enough,  for  they  kept 
their  legs  very  stiff  and  made  their  faces  as 
solemn  as  possible.  The  hunters  would  have 
laughed  if  they  dared.  It  was  certainly  odd  to 
call  that  dancing.  They  pitied  the  tiny  sav- 
ages, with  no  musical  instruments  and  no  idea 
of  tunes  or  songs. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

HOW    THE    DWARFS    LIVE. 

"  How  do  these  queer  little  people  sleep  ?  " 
asks  Mpuke,  as  Gombo  stops  for  a  moment 
in  his  story.  "  Don't  they  have  any  houses  to 
protect  them  during  the  storms  ?  And  what 
kind  of  clothes  do  the  men  and  women  wear  ? 
I  don't  see  that  they  have  a  chance  to  make 
many  things,  since  they  move  from  place  to 
place  so  often." 

"  Dear  me,"  answers  the  hunter,  "  you  for- 
get, Mpuke,  what  I  said  about  their  house- 
building when  we  found  them.  People  of 
other  tribes  have  told  me  that  their  houses  are 
like  beehives.  They  gather  long,  elastic 
branches,  and  bend  them  over  into  a  curved 
roof  for  the  house,  fastening  the  ends  to  the 

79 


So      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

ground.  The  longest  branches  are  placed 
over  the  middle  of  the  house.  Shorter  ones 
are  laid  on  each  side,  and  afterward  the  whole 
roof  is  covered  with  leaves. 

"  The  doorway  is  so  low  one  has  to  creep 
into  the  house  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  all 
he  finds  inside  is  a  bed  made  of  sticks.  That 
cannot  be  very  comfortable  or  soft,  can  it, 
Mpuke  ? 

"  Their  only  clothing  is  an  apron  of  palm 
leaves,  which  is  very  easily  made.  Oh,  these 
queer  little  folk  have  an  easy  time  of  it,  but 
I  should  not  wish  to  live  as  they  do.  They 
have  no  bread,  for  they  plant  no  manioc. 
They  keep  a  fire  burning  as  long  as  they  stay 
in  a  place,  so  they  can  roast  the  game  they 
shoot  or  trap.  But  that  is  the  only  cooking 
they  ever  do." 

"  How  do  they  light  their  fires  ?  "  asks  the 
curious  Mpuke. 

"  They  hunt  around  in  the  ground  till  they 


AFTERWARD    THE    WHOLE    ROOF    IS    COVERED    WITH    LEAVES 


How  the  Dwarfs  Live  81 

find  two  pieces  of  flint,  and  strike  them  to- 
gether till  they  get  sparks,  just  as  I  would 
myself,"  the  hunter  answers. 

"  Do  you  think  they  will  steal  from  us 
unless  we  watch  carefully  ? "  asks  one  of  the 
women,  anxiously.  "  If  they  are  thievish, 
I  must  hide  my  ornaments  in  the  ground 
when  we  are  to  be  away  from  the  village." 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,"  Gombo  quickly  replies, 
"  for  every  one  says  they  are  very  honest,  and 
scorn  a  theft.  To  be  sure,  it  would  not  be 
a  strange  thing  for  a  pigmy  to  shoot  his  arrow 
into  the  centre  of  a  cluster  of  bananas,  as  a 
sign  that  when  it  ripens  it  shall  be  picked  by 
him  alone.  But  if  he  should  do  such  a  thing 
he  would  bring  you  enough  game  to  pay  for 
it.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  not  be  well 
for  you  to  dare  to  pick  a  bunch  that  he  has 
marked  in  this  way,  even  though  it  is  on  your 
own  tree,  and  he  has  never  asked  you 
for  it.     He  would  feel  insulted  if  you  should 


82      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

touch  it,  once  he  has  claimed  it  for  his 
own. 

"  These  little  people  are  good  friends,  but 
bad  enemies,  and  we  must  show  ourselves  kind 
neighbours.  As  to  your  bracelets  and  anklets, 
you  need  have  no  fear  whatever.  The  dwarfs 
do  not  seem  to  care  for  ornaments.  Even 
their  women  do  not  try  to  look  beautiful." 

Gombo  stops  a  moment  to  rest.  He 
notices  that  the  night  is  growing  late.  The 
chief  rises  and  gives  a  signal  for  the  people 
to  scatter  to  their  homes. 

Mpuke  is  soon  in  the  land  of  dreams ;  but 
he  is  awake  bright  and  early  next  morning. 
He  is  anxious  to  visit  his  new  neighbours,  and 
get  acquainted  with  the  children  of  the  dwarfs. 
As  soon  as  his  early  breakfast  is  over,  the 
black  boy  hurries  away  over  the  forest  path, 
and  soon  reaches  the  camp  of  the  pygmies. 

There  is  a  fire  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree- 
trunk  which   the  children   are   tending.     The 


How  the  Dwarfs  Live  83 

men  and  women  are  busy  making  their  little 
huts.  There  are  about  thirty  people  in  all. 
Mpuke  makes  signs  of  friendship,  and  smiles 
at  the  boys  and  girls  who  are  so  tiny  beside 
himself.  They  soon  get  over  their  shyness, 
and  show  him  their  bows  and  arrows.  One 
of  the  boys  is  very  proud  of  his  skill,  and 
well  he  may  be.  Mpuke  envies  him  when  he 
sees  him  shoot  one,  two,  three  arrows  in  suc- 
cession, so  rapidly  that  the  third  one  leaves 
the  bow  before  the  first  one  reaches  the  mark. 
Mpuke  is  a  skilful  archer,  but  he  cannot 
shoot  as  well  as  the  little  dwarf. 

"  How  do  you  fish  ?  "  he  asks  the  children. 
"  Do  you  use  nets,  or  catch  the  fish  with 
hooks  ?  " 

They  take  their  fishing-rods  and  go  down 
to  the  river  with  him.  He  is  very  much  sur- 
prised when  he  sees  them  tie  pieces  of  meat 
on  the  ends  of  their  lines,  and  dangle  them 
in  the  water. 


84      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

"  They  must  be  silly  creatures,"  thinks 
Mpuke,  "  to  believe  they  can  catch  fish  in 
any  such  way  as  that." 

But  he  finds  they  are  not  silly.  They  are 
very  skilful  little  fishermen ;  they  are  so  clever 
in  their  motions,  and  they  give  such  quick 
pulls  at  just  the  right  moment,  that  they  land 
fish  after  fish  in  a  few  minutes'  time. 

"  I  can  learn  a  good  many  things  from  the 
dwarfs,"  thinks  the  boy.  "  I  will  spend  all 
the  time  I  can  with  them  as  long  as  they  stay 
in  this  part  of  the  country." 

He  bids  them  a  pleasant  good-bye,  and 
scampers  homeward  to  tell  his  mother  what 
he  has  seen.  Our  little  black  cousin  soon 
reaches  an  open  space  where  the  trees  have 
been  cut  down.  The  grass  is  high  and  thick, 
but  he  hurries  along,  trampling  it  under  foot 
as  he  makes  a  path  for  himself. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SPIDERS  ! 

Suddenly  Mpuke  has  a  queer  feeling  about 
his  bare  legs,  as  though  he  were  caught  in  a 
net.  Has  any  one  been  setting  a  snare  here 
for  birds  or  rabbits  ?  Surely  not,  or  Mpuke 
would  have  heard  of  it.  The  boy's  bright 
eyes  discover  in  a  flash  that  he  has  entered 
the  palace  of  an  immense  black  and  yellow 
spider.  At  the  moment  of  discovery  he 
receives  a  sharp  sting  on  one  of  his  bare 
legs. 

"  Ouch  !  ouch  !  "  he  cries,  and  jumps  about 
in  great  distress. 

Wicked  as  Mr.  Spider  looks,  his  bite  is 
not  dangerous,  and  Mpuke  hurries  home  all 
the  faster  now  to  get  some  cooling  herbs  from 

85 


86      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

his  mother.  They  will  soon  take  away  the 
pain,  and  make  the  swelling  go  down. 

Mpuke  has  watched  the  ways  of  spiders 
many  times  before,  but  always  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance. This  king  of  spiders  spins  so  strong  a 
web  that  he  can  even  trap  birds  in  it.  He 
kills  them  by  sucking  their  blood  in  the  same 
way  he  treats  his  other  prey.  As  for  beetles, 
flies,  and  wasps,  it  is  mere  sport  for  him  to 
end  their  lives,  once  they  enter  his  castle. 

It  was  only  last  week  that  Mpuke  dis- 
covered a  spider  he  had  never  heard  of 
before.  It  had  its  home  in  a  burrow  in  the 
earth,  shaped  like  a  tunnel.  As  the  boy  was 
lying  under  a  tree,  half  curled  up  in  the 
bright  sunshine,  he  saw  a  spider  suddenly 
appear  on  the  ground  near  by.  It  had  no 
web.  It  seemed  as  though  the  earth  must 
have  opened  to  let  it  out. 

Mpuke  was  wide  awake  in  an  instant,  for, 
as  you   know,  he  is  always  ready  to  learn   a 


Spiders !  87 

lesson  from  his  kind  teacher,  Mother  Nature. 
He  watched  the  spider  disappear  into  the 
earth  again,  at  the  very  spot  where  it  had 
come  out. 

"  Aha  !  "  said  the  boy  to  himself,  "  I  under- 
stand now,  Mr.  Spider.  Your  home  is 
underground,  and  you  have  made  a  trap- 
door that  swings  as  you  push  it.  You 
have  covered  it  with  earth  so  no  one  can 
find  out  where  you  live.  When  you  hear 
a  noise  of  some  one  coming  you  creep  out 
upon  your  prey."  At  this  moment  the  spider 
appeared  again,  and  pounced  upon  a  poor 
clumsy  caterpillar  who  was  making  his  way 
slowly  past  his  enemy's  home.  The  cater- 
pillar was  many  times  larger  than  the  spider, 
but  what  of  that  ?  The  spider  was  quick  and 
cunning  in  his  motions ;  the  caterpillar  was 
strong,  yet  clumsy.  There  were  several  min- 
utes of  hard  fighting,  during  which  the  spider 
gave  several  sharp  bites  and  drew  blood  from 


SS      Our  Little  African  Cousin 

his  enemy.  Then,  seizing  him  from  behind, 
he  drew  him  backwards  down  into  his  cell 
below. 

Mpuke  waited  awhile  before  he  dug  open 
the  spider's  burrow.  He  found  it  lying  quite 
still  and  stupid ;  the  caterpillar  was  dead  and 
partly  eaten.  Perhaps  the  spider  felt  dull 
after  a  big  dinner ;  perhaps  he  was  only 
startled  at  having  his  home  suddenly  des- 
troyed and  laid  bare  in  the  sunlight. 

Many  little  gray  spiders  spin  their  webs  in 
Mpuke's  home,  but  his  mother  would  not 
destroy  them  for  the  world.  They  are  great 
helpers  in  destroying  the  insects  which  make 
it  hard  to  rest  comfortably  at  night.  There 
are  ants  of  different  kinds,  mosquitoes  in 
abundance,  swarms  of  flies,  besides  the  great 
African  cockroaches  that  make  the  walls  creak 
as  they  travel  along  their  sides. 

Mr.  Spider  is  a  real  friend  to  the  people 
because   he   is   not  afraid   of  these    creatures, 


Spiders !  89 

although  they  are  his  enemies  as  well  as 
Mpuke's. 

The  boy  sometimes  lies  in  bed  and  watches 
the  battles  fought  by  the  spiders.  There  is 
one  old  fellow  whose  web  is  spun  near 
Mpuke's  head.  He  must  be  quite  old,  yet 
he  is  very  quick,  and  always  on  the  watch  for 
his  prey. 

"  I  believe  he  never  sleeps,"  thinks  the  boy, 
"  at  least  I  never  yet  saw  his  eyes  closed.  And, 
oh,  my  !  what  an  appetite  he  has ;  although  he 
eats  so  much,  yet  he  does  not  seem  to  grow 
any  fatter." 

Mpuke  likes  to  tell  his  playmates  of  the 
way  in  which  this  old  gray  spider  mastered 
an  immense  roach.  The  roach  was  walking 
grandly  along  one  day,  with  no  thought  of  any 
one  interfering  with  his  dignity,  when  out 
pounced  Mr.  Spider  from  behind  and  jumped 
upon  his  back.  It  would  have  been  easy 
enough    for   the   roach   to   walk   off  with   his 


90       Our  Little  African  Cousin 

enemy,  if  the  spider  had  not  clung  with  its 
hairy  hind  feet  to  the  wall.  They  seemed  to 
have  hooks  on  the  ends  and  dug  into  the  bark, 
holding  the  spider  and  its  prey  in  the  spot 
where  the  attack  was  first  made. 

Now  the  battle  began  in  earnest.  They 
fought  as  fiercely  as  two  panthers.  It  some- 
times seemed  as  though  the  roach  would  win 
the  victory  and  carry  off  the  spider,  but  the 
latter  managed  to  reach  over  to  his  enemy's 
neck  and  give  him  a  severe  bite.  The  pain 
must  have  been  great.  He  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  and,  after  two  or  three  more  bites,  he 
gave  up  the  battle.  Mr.  Spider  had  won  a 
prize. 

Some  people  say  that  it  will  be  fair  weather 
to-day  because  there  are  so  many  fresh  cob- 
webs on  the  grass.  They  do  not  know  why 
that  is  a  good  sign,  but  Mpuke  knows.  He 
has  often  watched  spiders  at  work,  and  seen 
the  half-liquid  substance  drawn  out  from  tiny 


Spiders !  91 

tubes  in  the  body.  As  it  reaches  the  air  it 
hardens  into  the  silk  threads  which  are  guided 
into  place  by  the  spider's  hind  legs.  This  odd 
substance  is  made  in  an  organ  called  the  spin- 
neret, at  the  very  end  of  the  spider's  body. 
He  can  draw  it  out  as  he  pleases,  but  it  takes 
time  to  make  it,  so  he  is  never  wasteful.  He 
therefore  does  not  spin  a  web  unless  he  feels 
quite  sure  the  winds  and  rains  will  not 
spoil  it.  He  has  wonderful  senses  by  which 
he  hears  and  feels  things  which  are  not  heard 
or  felt  by  human  beings.  He  rarely  makes 
a  mistake  in  his  judgment  of  the  probable 
weather. 

Did  you  ever  see  a  spider's  web  propped  up 
by  a  tiny  twig  ?  The  threads  are  quite  elastic, 
and  after  a  time  become  stretched  so  that  the 
web  sags.  Then  the  clever  little  workman 
feels  that  it  can  be  made  to  last  longer  if  it  is 
strengthened.  He  looks  around  until  he  dis- 
covers the  right  kind  of  prop,  and  puts  it  into 


92       Our  Little  African  Cousin 

place  much  as  a  carpenter  straightens  a  leaning 
building.  The  spider  has  certainly  learned 
many  things  in  Mother  Nature's  workshop. 

But  how  does  Mpuke  spend  the  afternoon 
after  he  has  returned  from  the  camp  of  the 
dwarfs  ?  He  finds  the  women  of  the  village 
starting  on  an  excursion  after  land-crabs. 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  ?  "  asks  his  mother. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


LAND -CRABS. 


The  black  men  are  very  fond  of  the  meat 
of  the  crabs,  but  they  think  it  is  woman's  work 
to  kill  them.  Mpuke  is  not  so  old,  however, 
but  that  he  is  willing  to  go  with  his  mother. 
It  is  great  sport  to  get  the  crabs  excited,  and 
to  see  them  scuttling  around,  ready  to  attack 
their  foes.  Their  anger  is  really  amusing,  and 
Mpuke  is  not  the  least  bit  afraid  of  them. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  these  land-crabs. 
Some  have  beautiful  red  shells,  while  others 
are  of  a  bright  blue,  but  the  ones  best  for  eat- 
ing are  gray. 

The  party  carry  baskets  and  sharp  knives, 
and,  going  down  to  the  river,  are  soon  pad- 
dling merrily  along  in  their  canoes.     Mpuke 

93 


94       Our  Little  African  Cousin 

entertains  the  women  by  singing  a  funny  song, 
and  mimicking  the  ways  of  the  little  dwarfs. 

Hark  !  what  is  that  slow,  swishing  sound  of 
the  water?  It  may  be  a  herd  of  hippopot- 
ami bathing  in  the  river.  The  women  do 
not  care  to  meet  them,  so  they  look  anxiously 
ahead.  They  see  the  heads  of  the  hippopot- 
ami reaching  out  of  the  water,  but  they  are  a 
long  way  ahead.  They  will  reach  the  island 
where  the  land-crabs  are  found  before  they 
come  too  near  the  great  beasts.  The  boats 
are  soon  drawn  up  on  the  low  shore.  Each 
one  carries  a  knife  and  basket,  and  the  hunt 
begins. 

The  feet  sink  into  the  black  mud  at  every 
step,  but  there  are  no  fine  shoes  to  be  spoiled, 
nor  long  dresses  to  hold  up.  The  black 
women  do  not  seem  to  be  troubled  by  the 
difficult  walking,  for  no  harm  can  befall  them. 

Mpuke  goes  ahead,  and  is  the  first  one  to 
find  traces  of  the  crabs.     He  discovers  a  num- 


Land  -  Crabs  95 

ber  of  their  burrows  close  together  in  the 
muddy  soil.  And,  look  I  here  comes  an  old 
grandfather  crab  to  meet  him.  The  old  fellow 
brandishes  one  of  his  huge  claws  like  a  club, 
as  if  to  say,  "  Don't  dare  to  touch  me,  sir,  or 
I'll  knock  you  down." 

Back  of  the  old  grandfather  comes  a  whole 
army  of  crabs,  some  big,  some  little.  There 
are  fathers  and  mothers,  aunts  and  uncles, 
children,  and  grandchildren.  Some  stand 
ready  to  fight,  others  run  away  in  terror. 
Mpuke  and  the  women  are  as  busy  as  bees, 
chasing  and  catching  their  prey. 

Watch  our  black  cousin  as  he  rushes  upon 
this  big  crab.  He  strikes  the  back  of  the 
creature  with  a  stout  stick,  and  partially  stuns 
it  by  the  blow.  At  the  same  moment  he 
seizes  one  of  its  great  claws  and  tears  it  skil- 
fully from  the  body.  It  is  done  in  an  instant, 
and  Mr.  Crab  is  now  at  his  mercy. 

But  the  next  time  Mpuke  is  not  so  success- 


96       Our  Little  African  Cousin 

fill.  He  strikes  a  good  blow,  but  the  crab 
manages  to  get  away,  and  scuttles  toward  his 
own  burrow.  Mpuke  springs  forward,  and 
knocks  in  his  home,  to  the  great  amazement 
of  the  crab.  What  shall  he  do  ?  Every 
moment  is  precious.  He  rushes  to  the  bur- 
row of  a  neighbour  and  tries  to  enter,  but  he 
is  met  by  a  pair  of  claws  as  big  as  his  own. 

"  How  dare  you  enter  my  house  in  such  a 
rude  manner?"  perhaps  the  other  exclaims,  in 
crab  language.  His  whole  clumsy  body  fol- 
lows the  claws  outside,  and  Mpuke  holds  his 
sides  and  laughs  as  the  two  crabs  enter  into  a 
desperate  fight. 

At  this  moment  there  is  a  scream  from  one 
of  the  women.  Her  hand  is  held  tightly  in 
the  claw  of  the  crab  she  has  attacked.  Mpuke 
rushes  up  to  her,  and  with  one  stroke  of  his 
knife  cuts  away  the  claw  from  the  crab's  body. 
But,  even  now,  the  hand  is  held  tightly,  for 
the   muscles  of  the  claw  have   not  loosened 


Land  -  Crabs  97 

their  hold.  The  woman  is  faint  with  the  pain, 
and  keeps  on  screaming  until  the  claw  has 
been  pried  open,  and  her  bruised  hand  bound 
in  cooling  leaves. 

As  for  the  crab,  he  hurries  away  as  fast  as 
possible  to  his  own  dark,  quiet  home.  There 
he  probably  consoles  himself  with  the  thought 
that  a  new  claw  will  grow  in  course  of  time, 
and  take  the  place  of  the  old  one. 

After  an  hour  or  two  of  busy  work  the  bas- 
kets are  filled,  and  the  party  make  their  way 
safely  to  their  homes.  There  were  no  acci- 
dents, and  not  a  single  hippopotamus  was 
seen. 

The  men  are  all  home,  and  have  great  news 
to  tell.  Word  has  reached  the  village  that 
white  traders  are  coming  this  way.  Every  one 
is  excited.  The  stores  of  ivory  must  be  col- 
lected ;  the  skins  of  the  wild  animals  must 
be  collected  together ;  while  Mpuke  and  his 
young  friends  will  spend  every  spare  moment 


98       Our  Little  African  Cousin 

in  catching  parrots  and  paroquets,  and  making 
cages  for  them.  The  traders  may  buy  them  to 
carry  to  children  in  far-distant  lands. 

Yes,  Mpuke  is  delighted,  above  all  else, 
that  he  may  now  be  able  to  buy  some  beads 
for  his  precious  mother. 

Perhaps  the  traders  will  tell  such  stories  of 
their  own  country  that  Mpuke  will  long  to 
see  it.  It  is  even  possible  that  they  will  grow 
fond  of  the  black  boy  during  their  stay  in  this 
village,  and  will  invite  him  to  come  to  Amer- 
ica with  them.  And  perhaps  he  will  accept 
the  invitation.     Who  knows  ? 


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Point.  The  presentment  of  life  in  the  famous  military 
academy  whence  so  many  heroes  have  graduated  is  realistic 
and  enjoyable."  —  New  York  Sun. 

FROM  CHEVRONS  TO  SHOULDER  STRAPS 

By  Florence  Kimball  Russel. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  decorative     .        .        .      $1.50 

West  Point  again  forms  the  background  of  a  new  volume 

in  this  popular  series,  and  relates  the  experience  of  Jack 

Stirling  during  his  junior  and  senior  years. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins.     With  fifty  illustrations  by 

Ada  Clendenin  Williamson. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover       ....      $1.50 

"  An  amusing,  original  book,  written  for  the  benefit  of 
very  small  children.  It  should  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  year's  books  for  reading  to  small  children."  — 
Buffalo  Express. 

THE  SANDMAN:  MORE  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 

Mr.  Hopkins's  first  essay  at  bedtime  stories  met  with 

such  approval  that  this  second  book  of  "  Sandman  "  tales 

was  issued  for  scores  of  eager  children.    Life  on  the  farm, 

and  out-of-doors,  is  portrayed  in  his  inimitable  manner. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  SHIP  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins,  author  of  "  The  Sandman: 

His  Farm  Stories,"  etc. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 

"  Children  call  for  these  stories  over  and  over  again."  — 
Chicago  Evening  Post. 
A.— 6 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  SANDMAN,  HIS  SEA  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 

Each  year  adds  to  the  popularity  of  this  unique  series 

of  stories  to  be  read  to  the  little  ones  at  bed  time  and  at 

other  times. 

THE  DOCTOR'S  LITTLE  GIRL 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggart,  author  of    "  Pussy-Cat 

Town,"  etc. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  thoroughly  enjoyable  tale  of  a  little  girl'and  her  com- 
rade father,  written  in  a  delightful  vein  of  sympathetic 
comprehension  of  the  child's  point  of  view. 

SWEET  NANCY 

The  Further  Adventures  op  the  Doctor's  Little 

Girl.    By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

One  vol.,  library,  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

In  the  new  book,  the  author  tells  how  Nancy  becomes 
in  fact  "  the  doctor's  assistant,"  and  continues  to  shed 
happiness  around  her. 

THE  CHRISTMAS-MAKERS'  CLUB 

By  Edith  A.  Sawyer. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  delightful  story  for  girls,  full  of  the  real  spirit  of 

Christmas.     It  abounds  in  merrymaking  and  the  right 

kind  of  fun. 

CARLOTA 

A  Story  op  the  San  Gabriel  Mission.    By  Frances 
Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 

in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway     .        .        .        .      $1.00 

"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  recommend  this  little  story  as  an 

entertaining  contribution  to  juvenile  literature."  —  The 

New  York  Sun. 

THE  SEVEN  CHRISTMAS  CANDLES 
By  Frances  Margaret  Fox. 

Square   12mo,   cloth  decorative,   illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway       .        .      $1.00 
Miss  Fox's  new  book  deals  with  the  fortunes  of  the  de- 
lightful Mulvaney  children. 
A  — 7 


L.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY'S 


PUSSY-CAT  TOWN 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors $1.00 

"  Anything  more  interesting  than  the  doings  of  the  cats 
in  this  story,  their  humor,  their  wisdom,  their  patriotism, 
would  be  hard  to  imagine."  —  Chicago  Post. 

THE  ROSES  OF  SAINT  ELIZABETH 

By  Jane  Scott  Woodruff. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart  .  .  .  .  $1 .00 
This  is  a  charming  little  story  of  a  child  whose  father  was 

caretaker  of  the  great  castle  of  the  Wartburg,  where  Saint 

Elizabeth  once  had  her  home. 

GABRIEL  AND  THE  HOUR  BOOK 

By  Evaleen  Stein. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart     .        .        .    $1.00 
Gabriel  was  a  loving,  patient,  little  French  lad,  who 
assisted  the  monks  in  the  long  ago  days,  when  all  the  books 
were  written  and  illuminated  by  hand,  in  the  monasteries. 

THE  ENCHANTED  AUTOMOBILE 

Translated  from  the  French  by  Mary  J.  Safford 
Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Edna  M.  Sawyer  $1.00 
"  An  up-to-date  French  fairy-tale  which  fairly  radiates 

the  spirit  of  the  hour,  —  unceasing  diligence.'  —  Chicago 

Record-Herald. 

O-HEART-SAN 

The  Story  of  a  Japanese  Girl.  By  Helen  Eggles- 
ton  Haskell. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Frank  P.  Fairbanks  .  $1.00 
"  The  story  comes  straight  from  the  heart  of  Japan. 
The  shadow  of  Fujiyama  lies  across  it  and  from  every 
page  breathes  the  fragrance  of  tea  leaves,  cherry  blossoms 
and  chrysanthemums."  —  The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 
A  — 8 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  YOUNG  SECTION-HAND:   Or,  The  Adven- 
tures of  Allan  West.     By  Burton  E.  Stevenson, 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who  is 
given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western  rail- 
road, and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are  thrilling. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  DISPATCHER.     By  Bur- 
ton E.  Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .      $1.50 

"  A  better  book  for  boys  has  never  left  an  American 

press."  —  Springfield  Union. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  MASTER.     By  Burton  E. 
Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth    decorative,  illustrated       .     $1.50 
"  Nothing  better  in  the  way  of  a  book  of  adventure  for 
boys  in  which  the  actualities  of  life  are  set  forth  in  a  practi- 
cal way  could  be  devised  or  written."  —  Boston  Herald. 

CAPTAIN  JACK  LORIMER.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  $1.50 

Jack  is  a  fine  example  of  the  all-around  American  high- 
school  boy. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  CHAMPIONS:  Or,  Sports  on 
Land  and  Lake.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
"  It  is  exactly  the  sort  of  book  to  give  a  boy  interested 

in  athletics,  for  it  shows  him  what  it  means  to  always 

'  play  fair.'  "  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  HOLIDAYS*      Or,  Millvale 
High  in  Camp.    By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

Full  of  just  the  kind  of  fun,  sports  and  adventure  to 

excite  the  healthy  minded  youngster  to  emulation. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  SUBSTITUTE :  Or,  The  Act- 
ing Captain  of  the  Team.     By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated .      $1.50 

On  the  sporting  side,  this  book  takes  up  football,  wres- 
tling, tobogganing,  but  it  is  more  of  a  school  story  perhaps 
than  any  of  its  predecessors. 
—  9 


L.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY'S 


CAPTAIN  JINKS:    The  Autobiography  of  a  Shet- 
land Pony.      By  Frances  Hodges  White. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....      $1.50 

The  story  of  Captain  Jinks  and  his  faithful  dog  friend 
Billy,  their  quaint  conversations  and  their  exciting 
adventures,  will  be  eagerly  read  by  thousands  of  boys  and 
girls.  The  story  is  beautifully  written  and  will  take  its 
place  alongside  of  "  Black  Beauty  "  and  "  Beautiful  Joe." 

THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  Theodore  Roberts. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....      $1.50 

"  The  Red  Feathers  "  tells  of  the  remarkable  adventures 

of  an  Indian  boy  who  lived  in  the  Stone  Age,  many  years 

ago,  when  the  world  was  young. 

FLYING    PLOVER.     By  Theodore  Roberts. 

Cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull $1.00 

Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a  very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 

lives  alone  with  her  grandson,  "  Flying  Plover,"  to  whom 

she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

THE  WRECK   OF  THE   OCEAN  QUEEN.    By 

James  Otis,  author  of  "  Larry  Hudson's  Ambition,"  etc. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .  $1.50 

"  A  stirring  story  of  wreck  and  mutiny,  which  boys  will 
find  especially  absorbing.  The  many  young  admirers  of 
James  Otis  will  not  let  this  book  escape  them,  for  it  fully 
equals  its  many  predecessors  in  excitement  and  sustained 
interest."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 

LITTLE  WHITE   INDIANS.      By  Fannie  E.  Os- 

TRANDER. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        •        •        .      $1.25 

"  A  bright,  interesting  story  which  will  appeal  strongly 

to   the     '  make-believe '     instinct   in   children,    and   will 

give  them  a  healthy,  active  interest  in  'the  simple  life.'" 

MARCHING    WITH    MORGAN.       How    Donald 

Lovell    Became    a   Soldier   of    the   Revolution. 

By  John  L.  Veasy. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .      $1.50 

This  is  a  splendid   boy's  story  of  the  expedition  of 
Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec 
A— 10 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 
Jean  Versfelt  Preston 

Scfibo!  d<  Information  & 
library  Science  Lib  ::y 

TTJl 


